


The Bathroom Series

by Ariel_Hedgehog



Category: Warehouse 13
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-29
Updated: 2013-09-19
Packaged: 2017-12-25 00:27:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 48,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/946496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ariel_Hedgehog/pseuds/Ariel_Hedgehog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everything at the warehouse starts in the bathroom.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Stuck

Author’s note: Thanks to Eridani Moon and I don’t own anything!  
Please be indulgent with me it's the first time I post something here ;) 

Chapter 1: Stuck

Myka stepped into the shower with a sigh. She finally felt warm. She’d decided to come back from the warehouse early, only discovering after about a mile that the heater in her car had finally died. Then, of course, there had been tons of traffic due to the snow, so it had taken her more time than usual to get home. The last time she had been this cold was when she had turned into a zombie… And that was so something she didn’t want to repeat anytime soon!

She turned the water close to boiling hot and let it run in waves down her body. For once, she’d be the one emptying the hot water tank and damn the others. She took her time washing and moisturizing her hair and then shaved her legs. When she was done, she cut the water, wrung the excess moisture from her hair and reached for her towel. When her hand touched nothing, Myka frowned. Maybe her towel had fallen from the hook next to the bathtub. She opened the shower curtain and looked around but the towel was nowhere in sight. Stepping out of the tub, she went to look in the cabinet where Leena always left the fresh towels, and cursed. The shelves were empty. Well, almost. The biggest piece of cloth Myka could find was a five inch square wash cloth. Cursing again and highly annoyed, she turned to get her dirty clothes; figuring they would get wet, but that she could run to her room and get changed. Finding the room bare of clothing, she looked around and then smacked herself on the forehead as she remembered that she had unfortunately already sent her clothes down the laundry chute. 

Now Myka was mad at herself. She would have to run naked from the bathroom to her bedroom. Sure, not a long run, but it was cold! Good thing all the others were still at the warehouse or she would never have lived it down. Although, if someone was here, she could have yelled for them to bring her a towel. Shivering, Myka took the wash cloth from the cabinet and dried herself as much as she could. All of the warm, toasty feelings she had gotten from the shower were gone now. She threw the wash cloth down the laundry chute, walked to the door and turned the knob; yelping in surprise when part of the knob stayed in her hand and the door remained closed.

Frowning down at the object in her hand, she growled, “What the hell?”  
She tried to put the knob back but it didn’t work. Crouching down, she looked into what was left of the knob but couldn’t see inside very well. Great. Just great. She was stuck in the bathroom. There was no use in yelling for help; the B&B was empty and would stay that way for several hours. Damn it! She needed to get out; she had a plane to catch to Colorado Springs. Her mother was having a party for her dad’s birthday and Myka had promised to be there. She really didn’t want to spoil her new relationship with her dad by arriving late, or worse, not showing at all. She was stuck in the bathroom and the only things she had to get out of this disaster were Q-Tips and shampoo and conditioner bottles. She couldn’t even try to unscrew the knob because someone had installed it wrong and the screw heads appeared to be facing the outside. Hell, even MacGyver wouldn’t be able to get out of this one! 

Thinking about the 80’s tinkerer gave Myka an idea. Maybe she could undo the door’s hinges and get out! She looked in every drawer and cabinet, finally finding a pair of metallic tweezers someone had forgotten. This could work. She went back to the door and attacked the highest hinge. Bit by bit, the metal piece slid out of its hole. When it was finally out, Myka let out a cry of victory.  
She was now sweating, but it was worth it if it got her out of the damn bathroom. She dropped to her knees and attacked the second hinge. This one was trickier. At one point, the tweezers snapped in two and Myka almost stabbed herself. Hot and frustrated, Myka threw the other half across the room. Now what? She studied the door with a critical eye. Maybe she could just bust it down. With one hinge out and a good swing it could work… Maybe. She rose to her feet and took position. She bounced on the balls of her bare feet as she counted to three and started running toward the door.

At the exact moment her shoulder was supposed to hit the door, it opened and Myka flew directly into Helena’s arms. The two women stumbled backward and fell hard to the floor. Helena was confused. She had come back to the B&B to change after a mishap in the neutralizer processing center and now she was lying on the cold hardwood floor; Myka’s limbs entangled with hers and a bruise forming on her lower back. Helena looked to see if her friend was alright and was shocked to find the other woman naked as the day she was born. Distracted by the beautiful woman stretched out over her, Helena couldn’t help herself and stared at what she was seeing; Myka’s long legs twisted with hers and the other woman’s breasts smashed into her own chest. Swallowing against the sudden lump in her throat, she silently admitted that she was dying to see what was hidden by Myka’s position. 

Myka was confused as well. One second she was expecting to run into a door the next she was on top of someone on the ground. She really hoped it wasn’t Pete or Artie. Slowly raising her head, Myka was stunned to see the look of utter longing on Helena’s face.  
Seeing the look of surprise on the other woman’s face, Helena gently questioned, "Myka? Are you hurt?"  
Snapping out of her apparent stupor, Myka shook her head, replying, "No, I'm good. I, ah… Helena, could you close your eyes?"  
Surprised at the request, Helena surveyed Myka's naked form from top to bottom and back again, a wicked smile playing about her lips as she replied, "Nope."  
Myka’s eyes widened as she gasped, "What? Why not?"  
Helena offered her companion a knowing look, stating, "Myka you're a beautiful woman and your body should be admired, not hidden."  
Sensing the red coloring her cheeks, Myka stammered “I... I forgot my towel and I was stuck and I tried to bust the door open, but… I’ll just go to my room now. Please, don’t look!”  
Without waiting for a reaction from Helena, Myka stumbled to her feet and ran to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. Helena slowly rose from the floor with a smile on her lips. Had she know that repairing the bathroom’s doorknob wrong would result in such a sight; she would have done it much, much sooner!


	2. Confession

Myka had had the feeling that Claudia wanted to ask her something for a few days now. The young woman would come up to her, open her mouth to say something and then would end up talking about trivial stuff. Myka hoped that nothing was amiss in her young friend’s life, but she preferred to let her friend come to her instead of questioning her. On Friday morning, Myka was enjoying her coffee in the living room, looking at a squirrel in the garden, when Claudia plopped herself on the couch next to her.  
Clearing her throat as she toyed with a frayed thread on a throw pillow, the younger woman said, “So here it is. Dwayne has this friend that he plays music with. This friend just got dumped by his stupid girlfriend and now he’s convinced that all women are the same. Do you… Well, do you think you could go for a drink with him tonight and make him realize we’re not all bitches?”  
Myka took a sip of coffee. Here we go; she was getting set up on a blind date by a friend who thought it was so sad and pathetic that she was single. Truth be told, she didn’t mind being single; less trouble that way. No arguments about the toilet seat or the toilet paper roll, no need to explain where she went because of work, and no need to lie. Of course, it also meant waking up alone every morning, no breakfast in bed, no talking about literature until 2 AM and then falling asleep in each other's arms either. But most important of all, being single meant not seeing the person you love getting killed in front of your eyes. Sighing, Myka weighed the situation. She didn't want to go on a date but she didn't want to disappoint her friend either.  
"Why me?" she finally asked quietly. "Aren't I a little old for this friend of yours?"  
"Come on Myka, you're not that old!” Blushing gently, Claudia confessed, “Besides, Henry is closer to your age than mine."  
Crap! There went argument one. Scrambling for an excuse Myka tried again, "I think you should ask HG. She's far more interesting and sophisticated than I am. She would be the perfect woman to convince your friend that we can be smart, sexy and sassy… Without being bitches."  
Claudia chuckled. "Come on Myka, HG will eat him alive! Besides, I'm taking her to see Titanic at the theatre tonight."  
Surprised, Myka raised an eyebrow."You are going to see Titanic? With HG? I thought you hated that movie, what with it being girly and cheesy and all."  
Claudia blushed a little more. "I know but she asked and I thought it would be nice to do something together. You know, get to know each other a little better. Trying to grow past the whole 'she's-the-villain-who-wants-to-end-the-world' thing."  
"We've talked about this, Claud.” Narrowing her eyes dangerously, Myka defended, “HG has paid for her crimes; she has suffered and now she's on the healing path."  
Claudia held her hands up in a defensive manner, replying, "I know! And I want to help her get better by helping her catch up with everything she missed while she was bronzed… As I should have done the first time she came back."  
Myka smiled. "That's very nice of you."  
Claudia brightened, "Thank you… So will you go out with Henry?"  
Myka took the time to finish her coffee before answering carefully, "I'm not really into blind dates, Claudia. I'm sorry."  
She started to get up but Claudia stopped her with a hand on her arm. "It's not a blind date, I swear.” The other woman’s dark eyes silently pleaded with her as she added, “Just a drink and talk. I don't expect you two to start dating or anything. We just want Henry to realize that there are better women than Sharon. And ultimately for him to stop bitching about her. It would make our music practices a lot more enjoyable… Please, Myka? I'm asking you this as a personal favour."  
Myka sighed. One drink didn't really imply anything from her, and she could always leave if it were too hideous… "Alright, tell him to meet me at Lily’s Café, tonight at 8."  
"Lily’s?” Rolling her eyes, Claudia whined, “Come on Myka, at least meet him at the Raccoon! It will be more fun."  
Myka glared at her friend. "Lily’s Café or no date. At least I'll get a good meal out of it that way."  
Claudia sighed. "Fine. I'll tell him to meet you at boring Lily’s Café tonight at 8."  
Biting back a snort of laughter, Myka replied, "It's not boring; you love their snickerdoodles and their homemade version of Oreo cookies.”  
Claudia shrugged. “I know, but it doesn’t feel like a nice enough place for a d... non-date.”  
“Exactly, a non-date, so Lily’s is perfect for a non-date.” Raising a curious eyebrow, Myka questioned, “Besides, where did Henry met Sharon?”  
Dropping her eyes, Claudia mumbled, “In a bar.”  
Nodding in satisfaction, Myka said, “So meeting him in a café proves that not all women are the same. Isn’t that what you wanted?”  
“Well... yeah, but...” Shrugging, the other woman added, “I just thought…”  
“No buts Claudia.” Meeting her companion’s eyes, the elder agent stated, “These are my terms and if you don’t want to accept them; fine, I’ll spend my evening with Dickens.”  
“Okay! Okay! I accept your conditions.” Forcing a smile onto her face, Claudia repeated, “Lily’s café at 8 tonight.”  
Myka rose from the couch and started to leave, but came back with a frown on her face. “Hey, Claud? How am I going to recognize him?”  
Smiling, Claudia replied, “Oh, he likes to dress like James Dean. You know; white t-shirt, jeans and an old leather bomber-style jacket.”  
“Right.” Continuing to frown, Myka then asked, “And how will he recognize me?”  
“Easy!” Claudia’s eyes sparkled with mischief as she replied, “You’ll be wearing that nice little blue dress you bought for your high school reunion.”  
If Myka hadn’t been totally awake at that point, the jolt of adrenaline at Claudia’s words did the trick. “Oh no! No, no, no! You can just forget about that. I’m not going to wear that dress for a non-date at Lily’s!”  
“Oh come on Myka!” Crossing her arms over her chest, Claudia demanded, “Wasn’t it you who told Leena just the other day that you wanted to give your dresses away because you never had any occasions to wear them to anymore? Now you have one!”  
Myka wanted to protest but Artie had finally arrived and was ready to start the day. Sighing, she dropped into her chair at the table and silently acknowledged that she’d just been manipulated masterfully. Whether she wanted to or not, she was going on a date that night.

At 7:50 PM that night, Myka entered Lily’s Café, wearing the blue dress covered by a white, long-sleeved sweater. It was the only compromise she had managed to achieve with Claudia. The café’s manager and owner, Josie, welcomed her with a warm smile.  
“Myka! Hi!” Brushing a kiss on the other woman’s cheek, Josie said, “I’m happy to see you. Claudia called and told me everything. So… I’ll just show you to your table and take care of everything, okay?”  
Myka was immediately nervous. What had Claudia done? Clearing her throat, she quietly asked, “What has she told you exactly?”  
Smiling knowingly, Josie replied, “That you were meeting a friend of hers for a drink, but you were expecting to have a good meal too. She told me it was a non-date and I wasn’t to do anything special.”  
Myka relaxed and smiled at the young woman. She didn’t know why she was so nervous about this whole non-date thing. Josie led her to a quiet table and Myka sat gingerly on the chair.  
Handing Myka a menu, Josie asked, “Jeff is giving Lily her bath upstairs; would you like to see her before she goes to bed?”  
Brightening at the prospect of seeing the child, Myka replied, “You’re sure you don’t mind?”  
“Of course not!” Waving her hand in a dismissing manner, Josie added, “She’ll be very happy to see you.”  
Josie’s three year old daughter Lily had adored Myka since she had first walked in the café to get some cookies for Pete and never missed a chance to chat with her idol. A few minutes later, the little brown haired tornado ran down the stairs from the apartment and leaped into Myka’s arms.  
“Myka!” Happy laughter filled the café, drawing the eyes of the few remaining patrons as she little girl added, “You’s came to see me!”  
Myka smiled at the little girl, hugging her adoringly. “I did! I wanted to see you before you went to bed.”  
Glancing around, Lily frowned, demanding, “Where is Pete? And Claudia? And the other lady?”  
“Well Pete is in Philadelphia with Steve, and Claudia went to see a movie.” Chewing her bottom lip, Myka questioned, “And which other lady are you talking about? Leena?”  
Shaking her head, Lily declared, “No! The pretty lady who talks funny! The Plum Fairy.”  
Sudden understanding filled Myka. Brushing Lily’s hair back, she said, “Oh, you mean Helena! She’s with Claudia.”  
The little girl looked disappointed, her lower lip pouting as she asked, “Will you bring her with you next time? She promised to bring me a pot full of pink Jelly Beans.”  
“She did? Well, I’ll be sure to remind her when I see her.” Myka said in a serious tone. Then, seeing that Josie making a sign that it was getting late, Myka gently unhooked the little arms from around her waist, adding. “I think it’s time for you to go to bed honey. I promise I’ll come back in a few days with Helena and your Jelly Beans.”  
Lily pouted. “Will you tell me a bedtime story?”  
“Lily!” chastised her mother. “Myka is waiting for her friend, and she can’t tell you a bedtime story tonight.”  
The little girl turned her supplicating eyes on her mother, begging, “Please?”  
“I said no sweetie,” replied Josie with a frown. “Besides, I think daddy is waiting for you to finish his dragon story.”  
Lily stomped her foot and whined, “But I want the story of the princess in the mirror, or the story of when the fairy makes the princess fly, or-or the story when the fairy sends the princess and the knight in the past to get a special magic wand!”  
Myka blushed. Some of the storylines sounded very familiar.  
Josie shook her head, replying, “I’m sorry sweetie, mommy doesn’t know those stories. Ask daddy.”  
Tears filled the child’s eyes as she sobbed, “But he doesn’t know them!”  
Josie glanced at Myka in confusion as she inquired, “Well, who does?”  
“The Plum Fairy!” Lily’s face lit up as she held her hands together and all but screamed, “She knows the story of the princess in the mirror and the flying princess and the magic wand!”  
Josie finally understood what her daughter was talking about. Smiling, she gently asked, “Is that what you do every week when Helena comes here? She tells you stories?”  
The little girl nodded and Myka was surprised. “Helena comes here every week?”  
“Yeah. She gave me a great recipe for plum pudding; from her grand-mother I think, and she tries to come every week to have a piece of it with Lily.” Josie’s eyes grew wistful as she added, “She calls it my hour of freedom. I leave Felicia to run things down here and I go upstairs to take a nap with Jeff.”  
Myka raised an eyebrow and smirked. “A nap?”  
Josie blushed. “A grown up nap.”  
Merriment danced in Myka’s eyes as she offered, “Uh huh.”  
“Don’t ‘uh huh’ me, Miss Bering!” Smacking playfully at Myka with a hand towel, Josie stated, “Now, I have a daughter to put to bed while you wait for Prince Charming.”  
Prince Charming… Ah, hell! Myka groaned and started looking for Henry amongst the customers of the café as Josie led her daughter upstairs. There were a few people in the café but none of the men resembled the man Claudia had described. Crossing her arms, she sat back to wait, promising herself that she was going to try to enjoy her non-date…  
Glancing at her watch, Myka saw that it was now 8:23 PM and she was boiling. Literally and figuratively. The café was very warm, so Myka removed her sweater to cool off a little. She was getting more annoyed by the minute at her late date. She hated people who were late. She was debating whether to go back to Leena’s, nuke something in the microwave and curl up on her bed with Dickens and a book; or stay there, enjoy a nice meal and then go home, or even to the late night showing of the movies, when the bell on the café’s door rang. Glancing up to see if it was Henry, Myka was very surprised to see Helena being greeted by Josie, who pointed out Myka’s table. Helena looked surprised to see Myka as well and smiled at her before she approached her table.  
Pausing behind the empty chair, the other woman cheerfully offered, “Hello Myka!”  
“Helena!” Studying the other woman with a curious expression, Myka asked, “What are you doing here? I thought you were going to the movies with Claudia?”  
Helena sighed. “So did I, but apparently I don’t have power over young love, and when Dwayne called while we were waiting to get our tickets…Well, our young friend decided she preferred to spend her Friday night with him instead of me. So I decided to walk here and indulge myself into a nice piece of plum pudding before going back to the B&B. What about you? I thought you were on a romantic outing with Claudia’s friend?”  
“It was not a romantic outing, it was a non-date.” Playing with her unused silverware, Myka muttered, “And apparently he stood me up.”  
Helena pulled the chair opposite Myka and sat. “Maybe he’s just running late. Do you mind if I wait with you? I promise to go as soon as he arrives.”  
“Sure, I could use the company… Especially from the Plum Fairy,” Myka said with a smirk.  
Helena was taken aback, but smiled at her friend. “So you’ve found out my little secret.”  
“I have.” Smiling softly as she thought of Lily’s enthusiasm, she added, “And I think it’s very sweet of you to do that.”  
“Oh it’s nothing, I’m glad I can help.” A sad smile crossed Helena’s lips as she added, “And Lily is a very nice little girl.”  
“She is.” Nodding at the other woman’s words, Myka brightened, adding, “She wanted me to remind you, that you had promised her a pot of pink Jelly Beans and she expects to get them soon.”  
“Bloody hell, they’ve been in my room for two weeks now and I keep forgetting to bring them.” Sighing in frustration, Helena question, “Could you remind me to bring them tomorrow? Or they’re likely to sit there for another two weeks!”  
Smiling, Myka replied, “Sure.”  
The two started talking about nothing and everything; from Dickens’ latest antics, to his namesakes’ books. At one point, Josie came by with two plates of steak, with baked potatoes and salad, saying she wanted to add the dish to her menu and she needed someone to test it. The girls happily dug in and began discussing the latest science fiction thriller; comparing it to Helena’s own work. Time flew by and soon Myka was enjoying a large Americano with an extra shot and room, while Helena was having a cup of Earl Grey with a piece of plum pudding.  
Moaning, Helena stated, “Hum... this is divine! Myka you have to try it.”  
Helena cut a chunk of the pudding and fed it to Myka who took it willingly. It really was good!  
Her eyes rolled back in her head as she murmured, “Mmmmm... Is it... brandy that I taste?”  
Nodding slightly, Helena cut off another bite as she answered, “Yes, aged brandy that I brought from Europe last time we went.”  
Myka smiled at her and Helena knew it was time to take the plunge. Carefully setting her fork on the edge of her plate, she ventured, “Myka, do you believe in second chances?”  
Myka thought for a moment before answering. “I think I do. Of course it depends of the circumstances, but most of the time, yeah I believe in second chances. Why?  
Cautiously meeting the other woman’s eyes, Helena quietly asked, “Do you think... we... could have a second chance?”  
Myka was startled. “We?”  
Dropping her eyes, Helena played with the utensil as she offered, “I have a confession to make. The date with Henry was a setup. I asked Claudia to do this because I wanted to spend the evening with you and I wasn’t sure you would accept, so… I came up with this idea.”  
Myka’s anger spiked as she snarled, “So you played me… Again? You used me to get what you wanted?” Hurt and disgust filled her face as she growled, “I should have known it was too much of a coincidence that you pop by when I get stood up. God, you’re so infuriating!”  
Rising to leave, she hit the table, spilling her coffee on her dress. Growling and near tears, she went to the bathroom to get cleaned up.  
Helena was a bit stunned. She had expected a reaction from Myka but not this one. She debated between leaving everything and going back to Leena’s to hide in her room, or going after the woman she couldn’t live without anymore.  
Josie, who had seen everything from afar, took the decision for her.  
“What are you doing?” hissed the other woman. Indicating the direction Myka had disappeared to, she ordered, “Go after her and tell her how you feel!”  
Helena jumped to her feet and ran to the bathroom where Myka was trying to dry her dress. Helena made sure the stalls were empty then she locked the door and put herself in front of it.  
“What are you doing?” hissed Myka.  
Helena met her eyes and stated, “We’re not leaving until you hear me out.”  
Myka crossed her arms on her chest and glared at Helena. “Fine. Say what you have to say so I can get the hell out of here.”  
“I love you.” Seeing the shock on the other woman’s face, and not wanting to give her a chance to respond, Helena rushed on. “I wanted to spend the evening with you because I’m in love with you. I think I fell for you the first time we met in London but I only realized it when you asked me to kill you. I couldn’t do it because I love you. When I was in my limbo prison, all I could think of was how I hurt you and that you would never forgive me. You can’t imagine how excruciating it was afterwards; to be able to see you, but not to touch you? It nearly killed me Myka. When I finally came back for good, you put distance between us and I respected it. But when I saw you after you got stuck in the bathroom, I knew I couldn’t let you go. I want to be with you... if you’ll have me for your companion.”  
Myka wanted to stay angry at Helena, but how could she after hearing that? To be honest, she had spent a wonderful evening with the other woman, and she wasn’t that angry that Helena had tricked her into this dinner. It was time to be honest with herself and Helena. Taking a deep breath, she confided, “I put distance between us because you hurt me so badly in the past, I didn’t want to risk being hurt again. At first I thought you didn’t feel anything for me, that you only used me to get to Warehouse 2. But when you were the same way even in limbo, I knew you really had feelings for me and it scared me. Not because you’re a woman, or because you’re the famous HG Wells, but because of the power you have over me. You made me lie to Artie; forcing me to leave my job and my friends; but most of all, you made me doubt myself… And I hate doubting myself. Tonight… Yeah, you tricked me. You tricked me into the most interesting evening I’ve had in a long time and I think it’s time for me to try to be happy… Happy, with you.”  
As she spoke, Myka moved closer to Helena. By the end of her speech, they were only inches apart, their breaths mixing. They stared at each other intensely for a moment before Myka closed her eyes and placed her trembling lips on Helena’s. Helena closed her eyes with a sigh and allowed herself be overwhelmed by the sensation of finally kissing the lips she’d been dreaming about for months. Groaning as her body began to tingle; Myka pressed herself against Helena, trying to melt into her. She jolted as she felt Helena’s hands on her waist, slowly moving down to her buttocks; and with a sigh, allowed her hands to drift From Helena’s shoulders. Her right hand found its way to Helena’s side, skimming along the edge of her shirt before darting under to brush the smooth skin beneath.  
Feeling encouraged as the other woman moaned into her mouth, Myka slid the rest of her hand under her shirt and upwards to cup Helena’s lace-covered breast. Helena let out a moan as Myka touched her, relishing the human contact. It had been too long since someone, anyone, had touched her like this, and she never wanted it to end. Still kissing, she slowly pulled Myka’s dress up until it was bunched around her waist and then traced her elegant fingers along the elastic of the material keeping her from her treasure. Groaning in frustration, she moved her hands further south; the cotton of Myka’s panties feeling soft under her fingers as she took the time to map the rounded swells of Myka’s rear. Myka had slipped her fingers underneath the lace of the bra and was now softly caressing Helena’s nipple into a tight button, sending electric shocks between Helena’s legs and drawing a sharp gasp from the Brit. Smiling wickedly against Myka’s lips, Helena moved her hand inside the other woman’s cotton panties and was about to touch her Holy Grail from behind when someone knocked at the door, jolting them both.  
“Guys?” Josie’s tone was tentative as she knocked again, calling, “Are you in there? I really hate to interrupt you, but I have to close the place. Please, ahh… Please come out with your clothes on.”  
Both women had frozen when they’d heard the knock. Slowly, they retracted their hands and stopped kissing. Grinning, they devoured each other with their eyes while rearranging their clothes and wiping smeared lipstick. Just as they started out of the bathroom Helena pushed Myka against the wall and whispered in her ear, “I will know and worship every inch of your skin before the night is over.” Then she pushed away from a stunned Myka, unlocking and opening the door, before sashaying out of the bathroom. Fuzzy-headed, Myka took a deep breath and counted to ten in her head before slowly following her future lover.  
Helena had put her jacket on and was paying Josie for the meals when Myka reappeared. She went to get her sweater and her purse and exited the restaurant without a word; waving goodbye to Josie as she passed the café owner. Watching Myka go, the manager stopped Helena before she left and curiously asked, “Did the plan backfire on us? Is Myka mad?”  
“I’m not sure.” Smiling encouragingly, Helena patted her friend on the shoulder and added, “I’ll come by tomorrow and let you know how it went.”  
Helena left the café and went to the parking lot where she found Myka waiting behind the wheel of her SUV. Feeling bold and hoping Myka hadn’t changed her mind, Helena opened the door to the back seat, and slid in behind the driver. Myka didn’t say a word and started the engine, pulling out onto the road that led to the B&B. They had only been on the road for a few minutes when Helena suddenly unbuckled her seatbelt and scooted forward, leaning over the driver’s seat. She delicately tugged at the straps of Myka’s dress; allowing them to slide from her shoulders onto her arms, and then slipped both hands inside the dress to caress her breasts. Myka moaned, her eyes drifting shut before flying open as she gasped and slammed on the brakes when she almost ran into a car coming the other way.  
Glancing at her would-be lover, she hissed, “My God! Don’t do that while I’m driving! You almost got us killed!”  
Helena chuckled and removed her hands but stayed close to the driver’s seat, nibbling on Myka’s ear and whispering what she intended to do to her when they got home. When they finally arrived at the B&B, Myka was about to explode. The exited the car and Myka pushed Helena against the vehicle, capturing her lips with her own. She was hungry for this woman who had spent the seemingly endless trip from the cafe trying to drive her crazy. Locked in a passionate kiss for several minutes; their hands roaming each other’s body, both jumped when a car passed in the street and honked at them, Helena regained enough of her senses to realize this wasn’t the best place to have her wicked way with Myka.  
With great effort she managed to whisper between kisses, “Myka...mmmm... darling... although this is nice... I think... oh! We should... Oh yes, darling! We should go… go inside...” Laughing softly as Myka glanced up with unfocused eyes, Helena questioned, “Your room... or mine?”  
Frowning as she tried to form a coherent thought, Myka answered, “Which… Whichever...is closer...”  
Pulling each other from their kisses, they linked hands and slowly made their way inside. The B&B was quiet with Pete and Steve in Philadelphia, Artie at the Warehouse, Claudia out and Leena away to see some relatives. Unbelievably, they had the place to themselves. Myka jumped on Helena the second the door was closed and started attacking her clothes. She untucked Helena’s white shirt from her jeans and began unbuttoning it from the bottom, revealing Helena’s stomach and her black lace-covered breasts one button at a time. She took a moment to drink in the sight of the woman in front of her, biting her bottom lip as a new wave of desire washed over her.  
Helena was stunning. That was the only word for her. From the long legs still encased in denim to the mischievous smile playing about her lips and the sparkling dark eyes, the Brit was absolutely stunning. The sight of the other woman’s nearly naked chest accentuated Myka’s desire and she grabbed the shirt to bring Helena closer to her. Helena kissed her; wrapping her arms around her and slowly leading her to her bedroom. Once inside, Myka lost all restraint; ripping Helena’s shirt from her body before attacking her belt buckle.  
“I want you”, she growled.  
Nodding shakily, Helena whispered, “Take me. Make me yours.”  
Myka unbuttoned Helena’s jeans and slid them down her legs, helping her out of them before guiding her to the bed where she paused. Helena noticed and looked at her. Unease filled her as she whispered, “Myka?”  
Nibbling her lower lip as she studied the bed, Myka asked, "Shouldn't we turn down the bed?"  
Laughing merrily, Helena simply replied, "Later darling."  
Helena captured her lips and Myka forgot all about turning down the bed. Instead, she gently pushed Helena down onto it. Helena let herself fall but brought Myka on top of her in the same move. She wanted nothing more than to give Myka a great deal of pleasure and take her to unknown places, but since she wanted Myka to be completely at ease with their first time, Helena chose to let her lead. It was hard for her to be the receiver and restrain herself from taking control, but for Myka she was willing to do anything.  
Myka unhooked Helena’s bra and let it slide from her arms before tossing it to the floor. Helena’s heavy breasts were a welcome sight and Myka smiled. She began to caress them, being careful not to touch the nipples until she had Helena begging. Smiling as the Brit began to plead for her touch, Myka caressed both nipples with her thumbnails, making slight movements with her fingers until they drew into tight nubs and Helena was shaking from the stimulation. She felt the tension growing between her legs and when Myka started going faster, Helena gave into the pleasure; riding the wave until she exploded, moaning Myka’s name as she came.  
Gazing up through unfocused eyes, Helena could see that Myka had a pleased smile on her face, while she was panting. Swallowing against the dryness in her throat, Helena gasped, “That was...”  
When she couldn’t find the words, Myka suggested, “Long overdue?”  
Nodding weakly, Helena replied, “Years in the making!”  
Myka chuckled and leaned closer, nibbling Helena’s lips as she murmured, “We’re not done yet.”  
Helena’s eyes grew large, her accent becoming crisp as she teased, “Oh you have no idea my darling. I intend to have you beg for my touch.”  
Grinning wickedly, Myka straddled her legs, retorting, “You’d need to get the upper hand for that and that’s not gonna happen.”  
Grinning, Helena winked and said, “Just give me a moment to regain my strength and I promise you, I’ll make you beg.”  
Shaking her head, Myka took possession of her lovers’ mouth again and started caressing Helena’s now over-sensitive breasts. Helena moaned and reached to pull up Myka’s dress again, cursing as it bunched beneath the other woman’s breasts. Growling, she allowed the dress to fall back down, caressing Myka’s thighs, her buttocks and up her back to take care of the zipper. She pulled at the bodice of the dress, sliding it forward on Myka’s arms and was pleased that her fingers encountered only silky soft skin and no bra. Myka hurried to get rid of her dress; yanking it over her head and tossing it to join the other clothes on the floor. Both women were now only wearing their panties but that, too, was about to change.  
Myka caressed Helena’s stomach, her fingers sliding over the faint stretch marks barely visible to the eye but recognizable to the touch. She slid her fingers underneath the waistband of Helena’s panties and slid them down her legs. Myka deepened the kiss and Helena let her legs fall slightly apart, allowing Myka passage to the treasure inside. Her hand shaking, Myka softly touched the moist curls and soft skin; gently teasing the erect clitoris before plunging a finger inside Helena. Helena’s eyes widened as she gasped and moaned as Myka started moving her hand. Myka moved her finger faster and then added another finger, her thumb playing with Helena’s clitoris, leaving Helena unable to concentrate on anything but the sensations between her legs. When Myka bent and took a nipple in her mouth, her tongue playing on the sensitive skin, Helena climaxed once more, screaming her lover’s name at the top of her lungs.  
Myka left her fingers inside her lover as the other woman slowly regained her senses; gently nibbling on her ear as she murmured to Helena. When she felt the muscles finally relax, she slowly removed her fingers; dragging the wet appendages over Helena’s still throbbing clit, drawing another gasp from her. Helena dragged her eyes open and looked at Myka with raw desire. Before she realized what had happened, Myka found herself on her back, with Helena straddling her legs. Tensing, she cried, “Whoa!”  
Helena gave her a wicked smile. “My turn to have fun with you, Darling.”  
Helena captured Myka’s lips and stretched herself out on top of her. They remained locked in a passionate embrace for several minutes before Helena scooted upwards to straddle Myka’s waist, placing her sex directly on Myka’s. The thin cotton panties between them were already soaked with Myka’s desire, increasing Helena’s own passion. Helena started caressing Myka’s breasts; playing with the nipples and making them rock hard. Then she drew one into her mouth, using her tongue and teeth to make Myka moan and gasp. After several long minutes, she repeated her actions on the other nipple and chuckled as Myka grew more vocal.  
Winking at her lover, Helena slowly lowered herself, kissing her way down Myka’s body. She took away the last barrier between her and her goal and tossed it on the floor. After all this time, she was finally going to have Myka Bering to herself. Helena placed a line of kisses just above the curls, smelling the desire on her lover. She arranged Myka’s legs to have the best display possible of the delicate flower between her legs, and then gently touched the moist skin, teasing at the entrance but not entering just yet. She caressed the inner thighs then came back to the folds, this time entering to the first knuckle of her middle finger and putting a slight pressure inside. She then replaced her finger with her tongue, going as deep as she could and licking the blessed honey. Myka was going wild beneath her, screaming and moaning at the foreign but oh so wonderful sensations. When Helena stopped and pulled away from her, Myka let out a furious growl and found Helena looking up at her with a satisfied smile on her lips. Raising that aristocratic eyebrow, she taunted, “Patience, my darling. I never rush when I eat.”  
Myka blushed furiously and Helena’s happy laughter filled the room. Trailing her fingers along Myka’s toes, she started caressing the other woman’s legs, up to her knees and then back down to her feet, which she took the time to massage tenderly. Myka had come down from her pleasure high and was truly appreciating the foot massage, but it wasn’t what she wanted from Helena. She wanted to beg to be touched where she needed it the most, but she didn’t want to give that satisfaction to Helena, so she elected to touch her own breasts, hoping to get release. Helena saw her and stopped her massage with a softly uttered, “Darling, if you don’t need me I could always go to my room and leave you alone.”  
Myka took her hands away, smiling sheepishly. The women stared at each other for a moment before Helena asked “Is there something you want, darling?”  
Myka caved in and begged “Yes! I want you Helena! Take me, please! I need you so much!”  
Helena was very pleased with herself and chose to indulge her partner. She could always play with her lover later. She propped Myka’s legs strategically then lay between them on her stomach. This time she zeroed on the object of her desire and took Myka’s clitoris between her lips, gently sucking on it and playing it with her tongue. Myka yelped, then screamed at the sensations that shot through her womanhood. Grinning, Helena plunged two fingers into her and Myka almost lost it right there. Helena began moving her fingers quickly back and forth within her channel and Myka stopped thinking altogether. She focused on the pleasure that was growing with in her, causing her to shake and pant, thrusting her hips wildly as she clutched the comforter beneath her. A wave started somewhere deep inside, rising and ebbing; growing and growing until it erupted and Myka screamed. Helena kept her fingers moving, riding with Myka on the pleasure wave until the other woman was sobbing. When the tremors finally eased, Helena turned her hand and delved further inside to touch the one point she knew would send Myka over the edge once more. When Myka let out a powerful scream and tears began to stream from her eyes, Helena knew she had found what she had been looking for. She started massaging the spot, applying various amounts of pressure to it until Myka was panting and screaming; begging her lover for release. Helena took the erect bundle of nerves between her lips once more and coordinated her efforts to generate as much pleasure as she could. Within minutes Myka’s screams escalated and she came, screaming Helena’s name before her eyes rolled back in her head and everything went black.  
When Myka awakened with a frighten cry, she was shivering from the cold and the room was pitch black. She reached to turn on her bedside lamp only to find that it didn’t work. Fighting off her confusion, Myka rolled out of bed and stumbled across the room to turn on the ceiling light. A frown filled her face as she found Helena curled in on herself on the bed, shaking. Myka rushed to her side, whispering, “Helena?”  
Myka touched her shoulder slightly but the other woman didn’t react. Concerned, Myka went to get the blanket that was on the armchair and placed it over Helena before climbing in the bed and under the blanket; spooning behind Helena to share her warmth. It took Helena a long time to stop shivering and finally relax. Myka slowly stroked her hair, patiently waiting for her lover to offer an explanation.  
Helena’s tone was soft as she said, “The... the light went out about the same time you did. I... I thought I was back in the bronze. That everything that had just happened had been in my head. I panicked. The mind is a powerful thing, Myka. I… I haven’t been able to sleep in a dark room for years. You probably think this is ridiculous, a grown up woman who can’t be in a dark room without freaking out, but that’s how it is.”  
Myka snuggled closer. “I know what I’m about to say sounds extremely cheesy, but what you said made me think of a song and I want you to hear it.”  
She slid out of bed, padded barefoot to her stereo and placed a CD in it. She selected the song she wanted and the soft music soon filled the air. Returning to the bed, she cuddled Helena while she listened to the lyrics.  
“If you can't sleep  
I'll be there in your dreams  
I'll be there in your dreams  
If you can't sleep at all  
And in your dreams  
I'll touch your cheek  
And lay my head on your shoulder 

Goodbye shadows Goodbye shadows 

You're far away  
If you can't see my face if the world is cold  
but the sun shines the same

Shut your eyes  
There are bluer skies  
for your embrace to my heart 

Goodbye shadows Goodbye shadows 

If you can't sleep  
I'll be there in your dreams  
I'll be there in your dreams  
If you can't sleep at all  
And in your dreams  
I'll touch your cheek  
And lay my head on your shoulder”

 

During the song, Myka had placed her head on Helena’s shoulder and caressed her cheek, whispering, “We all have our fears Helena. I just dreamed that you had been killed by Sykes and I couldn’t bear the pain of losing you. I wanted you to hear this song because I want to say something to you… Let me be your light, Helena. I’ll guide you through the darkness. I’ll always be with you. If you’ll have me.”

Helena untangled herself from Myka, rose to a sitting position and turned around to face her; winding her arms and legs around her lover. Looking at the woman she loved, she stated “I’ll always have you.” She sealed her promise with a kiss and then drew Myka down to the bed. Wrapping her arms around the woman she’d loved for so long, she kissed the other woman’s lips and then tucked her face into the crook of Myka’s shoulder. A happy silence filled the house as both woman drifted to sleep in each other’s arms at 2AM.

Writer's not: Song is If You Can't Sleep by She&Him. I don't own anything!


	3. The Swap

I don’t own the characters in this story, I just enjoy their company.  
This chapter was the original first chapter in the series until the characters hijacked my brain and decided they want to go back.   
A HUGE thank you to Eridani Moon for the beta and the friendship.

 

Helena turned off the water and wrung out the excess water from her long hair and sighed in pleasure. That shower had been long overdue. She pulled the shower curtain and was surprised to see Dickens lying on the bathroom counter, looking at her with his eyes half-closed. Feeling exposed, she hurried to take her towel and dry herself. Then she quickly dressed and dried her hair with a smaller towel. Once done, she put her locket around her neck and looked for her ring but couldn’t find it. Annoyed, she went to look for it in the bedroom; although she was sure she had taken it off in the bathroom and put it next to her locket on the bathroom counter as she always did when she took a shower. Helena didn’t find her ring in the bedroom so she went back to the bathroom. Maybe it had fallen on the floor.  
After a close inspection of the bathroom floor, Helena was starting to panic. Where had she put her ring? It was a family heirloom and she hadn’t gone to all the trouble to get it back from the Escher Vault just to lose it idiotically in the bathroom! 

“Stop panicking and start thinking!” she chastised herself. Where could a ring go? Then her eyes fell on the sink. Oh no! She looked in the drain but couldn’t see anything. Helena rushed to the bedroom and retrieved a hanger and a pair of pliers. She went back to the bathroom and managed to make a long-handled hook with the hanger. She spent 20 minutes trying to find her ring and get it back up the drain, but nothing other than long hair came out. Frustrated, she threw her makeshift hook across the room.   
Then with a burst of inspiration, she went to the basement of the B&B where Leena kept her bigger tools and then ran back to the bathroom with a pipe wrench. It didn’t take her long to undo the pipe and shake it to get her ring back. Nothing. The pipe was empty. That’s when Dickens came in and stretched out on her stomach, purring softly. 

Helena frowned at him. She didn’t know why Myka had insisted they bring him back with them after they went to empty Emily Lake’s apartment. He was always going where he shouldn’t go; like the top of the fridge, and chewed every wire he could find. Not to mention he liked to eat rubber bands... and he absolutely could have eaten her ring!  
Helena jumped to her feet, muttering a foul curse as she banged her head on the counter. Her quick actions and her swearing spooked Dickens, who ran away after issuing a hiss. Rubbing her forehead where a bump was already growing, Helena started chasing Dickens. The cat was very scared now and kept evading Helena who couldn’t help herself and yelled at him

That’s how Myka found them half an hour later. Helena’s hair was a tangled mess, she had a bruised bump on her forehead and claw marks on her arms.  
Crossing her arms, Myka demanded, “What’s going on here?”  
“Myka! Quick! Help me catch Dickens, he ate my ring and I want it back!” yelled the Brit while running from the kitchen to the living room.  
Confusion filled Myka’s face as she questioned, “What?”  
“The cat ate my ring while I was in the shower.” Indicating the cowering cat, Helena explained, “We need to get him so I can open him!”  
Myka stepped in front of Helena, blocking her way.  
Narrowing her eyes in frustration, Helena stamped her foot and growled, “Myka! You’re not helping!”  
She tried to get around the other woman but the agent took her wrists in her hands to get her to listen.  
“Helena, there will be no cat opening. If there’s a problem we’ll get him to the vet, otherwise we will let nature take its course.”  
“But...” Chewing her bottom lip in indecision, Helena started to argue, but was cut off by Myka’s refusal.  
“No buts! Now let’s get you cleaned up. You look like you could use another shower. And we need to take care of these claw marks.”  
Helena didn’t protest. Myka was right, she had overreacted. Myka led her to the bathroom where the saw the piping disaster. Her eyes widened as she exclaimed, “Oh Helena!”  
Helena felt ashamed. She had made a huge mess and still didn’t have her ring. Shrugging her shoulders she apologized, “I’m sorry Myka. At first I thought the ring had fallen into the drain.”

Understanding dawned on Myka. “So you had to take it apart to be sure it wasn’t in there?”  
Helena nodded. Myka offered a sorry little smile as she felt her heart melt. “Helena, it is I who should be sorry. I took your ring. I snuck into the bathroom while you were showering and I took it.”  
The Brit was speechless for a moment.  
“But why? You know how much it means to me. Why would you do that?”  
Myka reached into her pants pocket and produced a diamond ring. A sheepish smile crossed her lips as she quietly replied, “Because I was hoping you’d wear this ring too.”  
Myka dropped to a knee on the floor and held Helena’s left hand in hers. Her hand trembled as she whispered, “Helena Wells, would you become my wife?”  
Joy filled the other woman’s face as she gasped, “Yes!”  
Myka smiled and put the ring on Helena’s finger then got up to kiss her fiancée. The kiss quickly became more and more passionate and the couple went to their bedroom to celebrate their engagement.

Several hours later, they were woken up by a yell.  
“What happened in the bathroom?!?”


	4. The Gift

It all started when Myka was awakened by the noise of the construction site next to the B&B. She and Pete had finally made it back from Seattle at 5 AM; after a tense, three-day retrieval, and she had been beyond exhausted. Sleeping on the plane had been impossible due to a baby crying during the entire flight and all she’d wanted to do was fall unconscious into her bed for twelve solid hours… But when the bang-bangs and the dzzzzzt of power tools had started around 7 AM, sleep had become impossible. She’d never been able to sleep with earplugs, so she had no choice but to get up; thinking maybe she could ask Artie to crash in his room at the Warehouse. The room was empty because Dickens had decided to sleep somewhere else for once.

Myka took her towel and her bag with all her amenities in it and went to the bathroom. The closed door told her someone had beaten her to it so she decided to wait outside. Ten minutes later, she sat on the floor because her feet were killing her.   
"Myka? Myka!"

Myka woke up with a start. Glancing up, she found Pete looking down at her; one towel knotted loosely around his waist, another one around his neck, and wearing nothing else.  
Concern filled his eyes as he questioned, "Hey, you ok? You fell asleep on the floor. Why don't you go sleep in your bed?"  
Myka slowly got to her feet, her legs now all numb as she replied, "Because they are making too much noise constructing whatever the hell they are constructing next door and I can't sleep. Why are you up anyway?"  
Pete took the towel from around his neck and started drying his hair. His voice was muffled as he explained, "Apparently they're building a huge honkin' house for some rich people. And I'm up because I drank a Red Bull before we landed and now I can't sleep, so I went for a run with Helena. Damn, she’s fast for someone of 150.”  
Myka smiled. Pete was right. Helena could run like a gazelle.  
Pete tossed his towel at the hamper and smiled as he offered, “I’m off to bed. I don’t mind the hammering.”  
“Sleep well.” Myka turned to enter the bathroom but was faced with a closed door again. She tried the handle but the door was locked.   
“I’ll just be a minute, darling!” The charming British voice filtered through the door, bringing a smile to Myka’s face; a smile that faded as the voice added, “I need to get rid of all the sweat.”  
“Great! Just great,” muttered Myka.

She hadn’t noticed that Helena had snuck into the bathroom while she was talking to Pete. And since she had locked the door, they couldn’t shower together. Myka thought about skipping the shower for now and going to get breakfast, but with her luck today, Claudia or Leena would take the bathroom after Helena, and Myka really wanted to take her shower. Knowing that her fiancée always took more than a minute in the shower, Myka went back to their bedroom and retrieved the book she had started reading on the plane. To be sure not to fall asleep again, she started walking back and forth in the hallway.  
Half an hour later, Helena finally emerged from the steamy bathroom. “There! All yours, darling. You couldn’t sleep?”  
Myka entered the bathroom to be sure nobody would take her place. Shaking her head, she replied, “No I couldn’t sleep with all the racket next door. I’ll try to go on with my day and have an early night or I’ll ask Artie if I can crash in his room at the Warehouse if I get too sleepy.”  
“Nonsense, darling!” Waving her hand dismissively, Helena chimed, “I’ll just go ask the gentlemen next door to stop their racket and then you’ll be able to sleep in our bed.”  
Myka smiled. “That’s very sweet of you, honey, but you can’t do that.”  
Frowning, Helena demanded, “Why not?”

Biting back a bark of laughter at the affront in her Brit’s voice, Myka answered, “Because those men have a job to do and even if you did manage to get them to stop, I’m sure the owners of the house wouldn’t appreciate the workers getting behind schedule.”  
Frowning, Helena began, “But...”  
“I’ll be fine Helena.” Caressing her lover’s cheek, Myka said, “It’s not the first time I’ve had to stay up when I’m exhausted. Promise me you won’t go over there and distract them?”  
Helena got closer to her girlfriend. “Myka, you should know by now that you’re the only one I want to distract.” Winking, she added, “Enjoy your shower!”  
Myka watched her walk to their bedroom, swaying her hips and had to fight the urge to join her. Damn, her woman was hot!

Smiling, Myka closed the bathroom door and took off her pyjamas after placing her towel, her bag and her book on the counter. The room was filled with steam and it felt good to be warm. She turned on the water, got it to the right temperature and stepped into the tub with a sigh.   
Her hair was full of shampoo lather when the water suddenly went boiling hot. Myka stepped away from the spray of water with a yelp and then cursed under her breath. She hated when that happened. The water went back to tolerable, then got colder and colder until it was ice cold. Myka got angry and slammed her fist against the wall. It wasn’t the first time Helena had emptied the hot water tank; and she had told her several time to be careful, but the Brit never listened. There was no other choice now but to just go with it and hurry up to rinse her hair; and forget about the conditioner, which made her angrier. Curly hair was hell when moisturized; now it would be even worse. Myka took the plunge, gritted her teeth and put her head underneath the icy water. When she was finally soap free, she was shivering from head to toe and her teeth were chattering. She dried herself and dressed quickly then she attacked the hair nest. She was halfway done when someone banged on the door.   
“Who’s in there? I have to go… Please, it’s urgent!” asked Claudia.  
“Go to the bathroom downstairs, Claud, I’m trying to fix my hair,” replied Myka.  
“Already occupied downstairs. Please Myka, it’s an emergency!” begged Claudia.  
Myka sighed and gave up. She could finish this later; it wasn’t like it could get any worse. She picked up her things and opened the door. Claudia didn’t waste any time and pulled her out of the room before stepping inside and slamming the door behind her.

“You’re welcome,” muttered Myka. This was going to be one hell of a day wasn’t it? Still shivering, she went down to the kitchen, where she found a bagel bag that had one bagel left and took it. At least she had managed to get that! She spread some cream cheese on it, and then went to the dining room where she put her plate on the table. Then she went back to the kitchen to get a glass of orange juice. Unfortunately, the glass slipped from her hands and fell to the floor, splattering juice and glass shards everywhere. Cursing silently, Myka hurried to clean up the mess. When everything was clean again; and she was sure no one would be hurt, she took a cup and poured the last of the coffee. When she went to pour milk, the three drops she managed to get from the carton barely changed the color of the coffee. Sighing, she put the carton in the recycling bin and went back to the dining room where she found Pete finishing off her bagel.

Narrowing her eyes, she demanded, “What are you doing here, I thought you were sleeping!”   
Shrugging, he finished chewing before replying, “I got hungry!”  
“That was MY bagel!” Smacking him upside the head, she growled, “And you could have put the empty milk carton in the recycling bin instead of back in the fridge!”  
“It wasn’t written on it that it was your bagel!” Rubbing the back of his head, he defended, “And I didn’t leave the carton in the fridge!”  
They started arguing and the yelling got louder and louder until Myka got fed up and turned around to leave. She didn’t see her ferret being chased by Dickens, who was chased by Trailer, who was chased by Claudia and she fell hard to the floor while trying to avoid the animals that ran into her legs.  
“That’s it! I’m moving out!” she yelled.  
Everything in the room went quiet. Claudia was the first to realize what Myka had said. Her eyes went wide as she demanded, “What do you mean you’re moving out? You’re leaving again? You can’t leave!”  
Pete started arguing too and it just made Myka angrier. She started shouting and that’s how Helena found all of them when she came to investigate the ruckus. She placed two fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly enough to make them stop yelling. When they froze in place she demanded, “What is going on here?”

Myka, Pete and Claudia started talking at the same time and Helena had to whistle again. Turning to Myka, she softly questioned, “Darling, what’s going on? Are you hurt?”  
“I’ll be fine, Helena,” said Myka, not wanting to tell her fiancée about her sudden decision.  
“She wants to move out and leave us again,” blurted Claudia.  
Helena decided to take the matter into her own hands. “Claudia, please get the ferret back in its cage, get Dickens out and take Trailer for a walk. Pete, help Myka up, and then I want you out of sight. Myka… you’re coming with me.”

Everyone obeyed and a few minutes later Myka was lying on the sofa in the library, her head resting on Helena’s lap as the other woman caressed her hair in a soothing manner. Leaning closer, she whispered, “Now, tell me, why do you want to move out?”  
“Because it would be nice to have our own place and not have to wait an hour to take a shower or simply go to the bathroom. A place with a huge hot water tank that would never be empty, and that would have plenty of milk and bagels. A place where I could make you scream as loud as possible at night without fearing someone would hear. A place just for you and me.” Shrugging, Myka fought her exhaustion as she added, “I don’t know, I’m just so tired!”  
Helena started massaging her scalp and it felt divine, lulling her to sleep as Helena murmured, “I understand what you mean, darling… Get some sleep and we’ll talk about it after ok?”  
Myka was already half asleep as she answered, “Mmm...k...”  
She was in Morpheus’s arms in no time.

She woke up mid-afternoon to find that Helena hadn’t moved. She was typing on her laptop placed on a small table in front of her, and Myka took a moment to observe the woman who had stolen her heart.  
“Did you sleep well, darling?” Helena suddenly asked.  
Jumping at the sudden intrusion of sound, Myka groggily replied, “How did you know I was awake?”  
“Your breathing changed,” explained the Brit with a smile. “How do you feel?”  
Stretching, Myka smiled, answering, “Much better than this morning.”  
Smiling down at her fiancée, Helena asked, “Do you still feel we should move out?”  
Myka thought for a moment and then nodded. “Yes. Yes I think it would be a good thing for us. But only if we can manage to convince Artie and find a place that’s not too far from here though.”  
A secret smile played about Helena’s lips as she confided, “It might not be necessary.”  
Myka was puzzled. Raising an eyebrow, she inquired, “What do you mean?”  
Helena’s dark eyes twinkled with mischief as she crooked her finger and ordered, “Come with me.”

Myka’s curiosity got the better of her and she rose from the sofa, followed by Helena. Helena took her future-wife’s hand and led her outside to the porch of B&B, questioning, “Do you trust me, Myka?”  
Myka’s eyes narrowed in confusion as she quickly replied, “With my life, you know that.”  
“Then put this on your eyes and let me guide you,” instructed Helena, giving Myka the scarf from around her neck.  
Intrigued, Myka obeyed without questioning.   
Helena’s voice was a breath in her ear as she whispered, “Do you see anything?”  
Shaking her head, Myka replied, “No.”  
Pleasure filled the Brit’s voice as she drawled, “Good.”  
Helena took Myka’s hands in hers and led her through numerous detours to be sure Myka didn’t know where they went. When they finally reached their destination, Helena took the scarf from Myka’s eyes and stated, “Et voilà!”   
Myka opened her eyes and looked around her. They were in the middle of a construction site and she could see it the B&B in the background. Gasping, she demanded, “Helena, why did you bring me here? The neighbors won’t appreciate seeing us in their unfinished house.”  
Satisfaction filled Helena’s face as she held out her hands and said, “It’s ours.”  
Myka was stunned. “What?”

Helena took her hands again and looked her fiancée in the eyes. “It’s our house. I bought the land a few months ago when I realized that even if Leena’s place was very nice, I wanted to have a house with you; a home. A home where I could make you scream at the top of your lungs and where we could raise our family. It was supposed to be a surprise for our wedding night but after the bad morning you had, I figured you could use the surprise right now.” Winking at Myka, the Brit added, “I’ll think of something else to give to you for our wedding. But this is our house. Our home.”  
Myka was speechless. She kept opening and closing her mouth as if to say something but nothing came out.  
Helena frowned at the unaccustomed silence, saying, “Myka? Say something darling.”  
Then, Myka found the exact words to express how she felt. “I love you so much!”  
Helena smiled and wrapping her arms around the other woman, kissed her passionately under the whistling of the construction workers.


	5. The Question

Pete was doing a bit of cleaning at the B&B. Usually, Leena took care of everything for them, but she had a bad case of pneumonia, and they had all agreed to take care of the house while she was recuperating. Pete had wanted to do the cooking, but that suggestion had been quickly vetoed by the girls and Artie; who said that greasy take out was nice once in a while, but not twice a day for a week. So Myka was doing the cooking with Artie; while Pete, Steve, Helena and Claudia were doing the cleaning.   
Pete was currently emptying the trash cans in every room; ending with the bathroom. There, something on the top of the trash can caught his attention. Frowning, he put on a cleaning glove and carefully picked it up, his eyes narrowing as he studied the object. Swearing under his breath, he then sighed heavily. This could mean trouble; big trouble. Placing the item in a tissue and then tucking it into the back pocket of his jeans, he swiftly finished his chores before seeking out Claudia. He found her down the hall, dancing to the music blasting from her earbuds while vacuuming the rooms.

Raising his voice, he waved his hand to get her attention, calling, “Hey Claud, can I talk to you for a second?”  
Turning the vacuum off, Claudia narrowed her eyes and stated, “Pete, I told you I’m not swapping chores with you! You drew the shortest straw, deal with it.”  
“No, no… it’s not about that.” Glancing around to make sure no one could overhear them, he lowered his voice, asking, “Can we go somewhere more private?”  
Claudia was suddenly intrigued. Pete was acting very weird and that usually spelled trouble… Her favourite word. Snagging his shirt, she pulled him down the hall to her bedroom and slipped inside. Pete closed the door and leaned against it as he began, “Look Claudia, you know I’ve always considered myself as your big brother, right?”  
“Uh... yeah...” answered Claudia, unsure of where Pete was going with this.

Offering her a comforting smile, he said, “I know you prefer to talk about this kind of stuff with Myka, because… Well, let’s face it; I’m not very good at the girl stuff. But I want you to know that I’m here for you if you need me and I hope Dwayne will do the right thing. And if he doesn’t, I’ll break his leg or something really, really painful.”  
Claudia was now convinced something was wrong with Pete. Narrowing her eyes, she demanded, “What are you talking about, man? Did you take something or do you have an artefact on you or what?”  
Pete shook his head and took the item out of his pocket, holding it out to her. “I’m talking about this!” he said, showing her the little stick with a plus sign on one side.   
Claudia’s eyes became as big as saucers. Shaking her head, she denied, “EWW! Whoa! That’s not mine!”  
Now Pete was confused too. Frowning, he studied his friend’s face for any sign of subterfuge, softly questioning, “What do you mean, it’s not yours?”

Rolling her eyes, Claudia replied, “I mean… It’s. Not. Mine.”  
“It has to be,” he argued. Pointing a finger at her, he argued, “You’re the only one who’s dating.”  
“Really?” Rolling her eyes again, Claudia held up her hand and ticked her fingers off, demanding, “What about Myka and HG? Or Leena?”   
Pete folded his arms over his chest and smirked. “Well, perhaps you don’t understand the logistics, but Myka and HG can’t have kids together. So that leaves Leena… and I didn’t even know she was dating.” His eyes went wide as he hissed, “Do you think she doesn’t really have pneumonia after all, and she’s just ashamed of what happened to her?”  
“What do you mean she doesn’t have pneumonia?” Smacking Pete on the chest, Claudia growled, “You heard Doctor Calder just like I did, and besides; she’s been coughing so much lately I’m surprised she hasn’t coughed up a lung already.”  
“Yeah, you’re right.” Pete was quiet for several seconds as he thought it over and then said, “I think we should talk to the others about it.”  
Claudia nodded eagerly and the two went to the kitchen where they found Helena washing the dishes. Myka was sitting at the table, working on their wedding plans with Artie while they enjoyed cups of tea. Poor Steve was stuck outside, mowing the lawn.  
Pete was still holding the test in his hand and he carefully placed it on the counter, stating, “Guys, we need to talk about this. We need to tell Leena that we’ll be there for her no matter what.”

At the sight of the test, Myka blushed and Helena became uncomfortable.  
“It’s not Leena’s,” said the Brit after several tense seconds. Turning to meet Pete’s eyes, she stated, “It’s mine.”  
Pete and Claudia were equally confused now, and Pete’s anger got the better of him. “You mean you not only cheated on Myka; the woman you’re about to marry, but you’ve managed to get yourself knocked up in the process?” He looked at Myka, who was sharing a look with Helena and felt his mouth drop open. Staring at his partner, he demanded, “And you’re okay with it? Are you crazy?”  
Myka tried to calm down her partner. “Pete, it’s not what you think. Please, let me explain…”  
But Pete didn’t listen and kept on ranting. “I mean I thought you guys were ‘til death do us part and all that stuff. Now you’re telling me it’s an open relationship? When the hell did that happen?”  
“PETE!” yelled Helena, her dark eyes flashing with anger. Pointing a finger at the irate man, she ordered, “Let Myka talk.”  
Pete’s mouth snapped shut in shock as Myka smiled at her fiancée. Winking at the other woman, Myka explained, “As I was saying, it’s not what you think. Helena is not pregnant.”

Once again, confusion showed on Pete’s face. Shaking his head, he indicated the test with a wave of his hand, growling, “What? I’ve looked, it’s positive.”  
“I’m not pregnant,” said Helena, blushing slightly. “I’m ovulating. It’s an ovulation test.”  
Moving to wrap her arm around Helena’s waist, Myka said, “We’ve talked about it and we’ve decided to start a family. Since we don’t know Helena’s cycle, she’s been doing ovulation tests for the last two weeks. Now that we know how long her cycle is and what her peak ovulation days are, we’ll be able to better predict next month’s ovulation and get the best possible dates for the insemination.”  
Pete calmed down, and then asked the question that was burning his lips. “Who’s going to be the father?”  
The girls exchanged a look and with a silent nod to her fiancée, Myka asked, “Well, it’s not how we wanted to do this but... Would you be our baby daddy?” 

Artie choked on his tea and spit it across the table, coughing loudly.  
“What?” Pete was stunned. Surely he hadn’t heard them correctly. Clearing his throat, he croaked, “I’m sorry… what?”  
“We would like for you to sire a child for us,” replied Helena with a smile.  
Pete started to laugh nervously. “Good one, ladies. I actually thought you were serious there for a minute.”  
Seeing he was the only one laughing, he stopped as Myka sighed. “Judging by your reaction, I can extrapolate your answer. It’s alright Pete; forget we even mentioned it.”  
Myka left her planning and took a dish towel to help Helena.

“Wait a minute!” defended Pete. “You can’t drop something like this on me and then act as if it didn’t happen. Can we talk about this?”   
Helena placed her hand on Myka’s arm and met her lover’s eyes, whispering, “He does have a point, darling.”  
Myka sighed again. Throwing her hands up in the air, she said, “Fine. What do you have to say?”  
Pete tried to make order of the chaotic questions firing through his mind. Clearing his throat, he gently asked, “First of all, why me? Why not a sperm bank or Steve?”  
“Why not Steve what?” No one had heard the screen door open and they whirled to find a sweaty, grass-stained Steve standing there with his hands on his hips. When no one answered him, he prompted, “Well?”  
“Myka and HG want Pete to be their baby daddy,” blurted Claudia.  
“Oh sweet!” Leaning against the counter, Steve chugged from the bottle of water that Claudia had handed him, winking at his friend as he whispered, “This is going to be interesting.”

Myka exchanged a long look with Helena before answering. “We want you because we know you and you have good qualities; both physical and spiritual ones. You’re a good man and you have everything we’re looking for in a father for our child.”  
Pete noticed her choice of words. Smiling he inquired, “A father… not just a sperm donor?”  
This time, it was Helena who answered. “Yes Peter, a father. We understand it would be cruel to ask you to father a child and watch it grow up practically in front of your eyes and not be involved. We’re open for discussion on legal arrangements, should you decide to do this.”  
Pete was overwhelmed by the situation. Shaking his head, he stammered, “I… I need time to think about it.”  
Helena smiled at him. “Take all the time you need. We know it’s not an easy decision to make and we’ll respect your choice, whatever it is.”  
Pete left but Claudia stayed behind. Tilting her head to the side, the youngster asked, “Why didn’t you ask Steve?”   
Myka exchanged a look with Steve, unsure if he wanted her to tell the story. He shrugged and softly said, “They did.” Sadness filled his eyes as he added, “I told them I would be honoured but... I can’t have children, Claud, I’m sterile.”  
Claudia gasped and placed her hand on his arm, “Oh. I’m so sorry dude!”  
Stave gave her a little smile. “It’s okay. I’ve come to terms with it.”  
Claudia couldn’t help herself and hugged her best friend tightly. “Still sucks, man.”  
Steve smiled and winked at the ladies, replying, “Yeah, but with a little luck, we’ll soon have a little one running around here; building odd things, playing with miniature Tesla’s and driving Artie crazy.”  
Glaring at his team members over his tea cup, Artie growled, “I heard that!”

Pete took his time thinking about the huge question his friends had asked him. He always knew that one day he would have children, but he had never found the perfect mother. For a while, he had thought Kelly would be the one, but things hadn’t turned out so great. Maybe this would be the perfect solution; he loved Myka like a sister, and had learned to accept and love Helena, and he knew they would make incredible parents. Sighing, for the millionth time in his life, he wished his dad was still alive. Maybe he could have helped him decide. 

After several days of debating, one evening he found himself at the library, looking up information on artificial insemination and fatherhood. He could have done the research at the B&B, but he didn’t want the others to know or bug him. He spent several hours reading and printing what he thought could be important and ended up staying at the computer until the library was about to close. On his way out, he literally ran into a young woman, sending her to the floor; papers flying everywhere. Pete apologized profusely as he helped her up, wondering how the week could get any worse. She smiled at him, saying it was her fault for not paying attention. As they started gathering their papers, the woman’s eyes fell on one of the headlines on Pete’s papers. Raising an eyebrow, she offered, “Wow. I never thought I’d meet a guy who’s not afraid to walk around with that kind of stuff on him.”

Pete had gotten distracted by the beautiful woman on her knees in front of him, and glancing down in confusion, muttered, “Huh?”  
The woman pointed to Pete’s papers, laughing as he blushed and stammered, “Oh. Uh... I just…”  
“That’s ok.” Smiling brightly, she added, “It’s nice to see a man who isn’t afraid of what people are going to think and who wants children with his partner.”  
Pete blinked several times as her words sank in; finally found his voice to exclaim, “Oh! It’s not for me.”  
The woman smiled and nodded. “Sure.”  
“Well, I mean...” Sighing, he stated, “It’s complicated… Very complicated.”  
Her eyes twinkled with merriment as she replied, “I’m sure it is.”

They were interrupted by the library’s manager, who told them they could come back the next day because they were now closed. Pete and the woman hurried to gather their things and left the building. Outside, Pete turned to look one last time and found the woman studying him. “I’m Lauren by the way.”  
Pete shook her extended hand. “Pete. Very nice to meet you.”  
“Nice to meet you too, Pete.” Lauren seemed to have a silent debate before questioning, “Do you want to go for a drink?”  
Pete smiled. This woman sure knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to go after it. Nodding, he replied, “I’d love to get a drink with you, but it would be better if it was coffee instead. I know a place down the street where they have the best cookies in town.”

Lauren was surprised that a man preferred coffee over beer but didn’t comment. They went to Lily’s Café where they got coffee and cookies. They started talking and eventually the conversation came to the subject of children. Pete explained to Lauren about Myka and Helena and the big question they had asked. Lauren listened quietly before asking, “So they’re asking you to be a father, not a donor?”  
Pete nodded. Lauren studied his face as she further inquired, “Would you get to see your child often? Do they want to give you rights and all?”  
Pete nodded again, explaining the situation as it had been laid out for him. “They want me to have every right possible… And the kid would live next door so I would see him often... Every day if I wanted.”  
Lauren took a careful sip of her coffee and then met his eyes as she asked, “And what do you really think about all this?”  
“I think that it isn’t exactly how I’d figured I’d have children, but in my line of work you never know.” Shrugging, he added, “And 40 is rearing its ugly head, so if I want to see the kid grow up and get to college before I’m senile, now would be a good time. And it would mean a lot to Myka if I do this… She’s like a sister to me.”

Raising her eyebrow, Lauren prompted, “I sense a ‘but’ coming.”  
“But what if I finally find my one? Will she understand that I had a child with my best friend?” Meeting her eyes, Pete softly questioned, “And what about the kid? Will he understand it? What if he’s picked on at school because of my decision?”  
Lauren placed a friendly hand on Pete’s. “Seems like an awful lot of questions and I can understand why you’re hesitating. I know we’ve only known each other for a few hours, but I’d like to offer you a piece of advice… No matter what you do; no matter what your decision is, your child could be picked on at school. I come from a traditional family and I was picked on mercilessly. It’s just how children are; how society is. We mock the people who are different to make ourselves feel better. This child won’t be bothered if he or she has two moms and a dad that don’t live together. As long as your child is brought up with love and respect, that’s all that matters. And as for your one, as you refer to it; if she’s truly your one, she won’t mind what you did; she’ll even love you more for it. She’ll love you because she’s your one, the one perfect for you, who accepts you just as you are.”  
Pete was stunned. Taking a sip of coffee to cover his shock, he questioned, “Wow. Are you a psychologist or something like that?”  
Lauren laughed happily. “Nope. I’m a romance novelist.”  
“Ah, that would explain it.” Shaking his head as he winked at her, he asked, “And what does a romance novelist do in this part of the world?”  
“I got a bit of a writer’s block, so I decided to take a road trip and see where it leads me. I left from New York and I ended up here.” Returning his wink, she whispered, “The people in my head thought it was a nice place for my next novel; so I stopped, got a room in town and now I’m writing again.”  
Raising an eyebrow, he teased, “The people in your head?”  
Lauren started laughing. “That’s what I call my characters. They tend to come alive in there and sometimes they even take over… They’re quite harmless I assure you.”  
Studying her, Pete quietly asked, “So if I want to take you out for dinner tomorrow night, do I have to ask someone in particular?”  
She giggled. “Just me. And I’d love to go for dinner tomorrow. Pick me up at 7?”  
Smiling happily, he nodded. “I’ll be there.”  
They quickly exchanged their numbers and left the café.

When Pete got back at Leena’s, he was surprised to find Myka and Helena cuddled in the living room. Both women were reading a book, Helena with her head on Myka’s lap. Pete sat down in front of them and said, “I have one question. Would I make a direct deposit or would we use a turkey baster?”  
It took a second for both Myka and Helena to understand what he was talking about but when they did, they started laughing. When they finally dried their tears, Myka answered: “You’d be doing your thing in a cup and then Doctor Calder will inject it in directly in Helena’s uterus. Sorry Pete, but you won’t get to sleep with my fiancée, even if you think she’s hot.”  
“Hey I didn’t say that!” Blushing as he averted his gaze from Myka’s knowing eyes, he muttered, “I just wanted to know!”  
Helena got up from her position on the couch and looked at him. Reaching out to take his hands in hers, she questioned, “Does this mean you’ve reached a decision?”   
Pete took a deep breath and let it out. Nodding, he replied, “Yes. I’ll be your baby daddy. But I want the legal stuff taken care of by a lawyer before we even start. I want everything to be perfectly clear between us.”  
Myka jumped of the couch and hugged him tightly. “Thank you Pete. You have no idea how much this means to us. You’re a great man.”  
Helena came to hug him too. “Thank you Peter.”

A few months later, Pete was taking an early morning shower with Lauren at the B&B. They had cut the water and Pete was deeply ramming his girlfriend against the wall. They were so into each other that they didn’t hear the bathroom door open. When he heard the sound of someone retching, Pete froze and kept Lauren in position, holding her against the wall and placing a finger on her lips to keep her quiet.  
Myka entered the bathroom seconds after Helena. “Honey, are you okay?”  
“I’m puking my bloody guts out, of course I’m not okay!” snapped Helena.  
Myka retrieved something from a cabinet and gave it to Helena, who mumbled, “Could you turn around while I do this?”  
Myka turned her back with a sigh, staring at the door until the retching stopped. Glancing over her shoulder as Helena flushed the toilet, she quickly turned back around as the Brit went to rinse her mouth then came back to the toilet where she peed on the stick. When she was done, she put it face down on the counter and washed her hands. Then she turned to Myka who looked as nervous as she was.

Myka smiled, comforting, “Now, remember Helena, it’s like before. If it didn’t work this time, we’ll try next month and the month after until we succeed.”  
“I know.” Nodding as though to confirm the plan to herself, Helena whispered, “I just pray it worked this time. And for baby number two, you’re carrying it.”  
Giggling, Myka kissed her lover’s cheek, murmuring, “We’ll see when that time gets here. Has it been a minute yet?”  
Nodding, Helena took the stick and looked at it blankly. When she didn’t react, Myka took her in her arms, whispering, “I’m sorry honey.”  
Smiling, Helena whispered in her ear, “Congratulations, mama.”   
Myka’s eyes grew huge. “It worked? I’m going to be a mother?”  
Laughing happily, Helena replied, “Yes my darling, it worked!”

The girls fell into an embrace and started kissing passionately. After a few minutes, Myka detached herself from Helena, stating, “Oh my God, we have to tell Pete!”  
The voice booming from the tub scared them both as Pete called, “I already know! Now could you two get the hell out so we can finish showering?”


	6. Cold Feet

Pete was running wildly down the corridor of the Plaza Hotel in New York; the phone call he had just received could mean big trouble ahead. He stopped in front of an ornate door and briskly knocked. The door was opened by Jeannie Bering, looking beautiful in her designer dress, though slightly distraught. She let Pete in and closed the door behind him, hissing, “Thank God you’re here! I didn’t know what to do!”

Pete put a reassuring hand on the older woman’s shoulder and smiled as he replied, “It’s okay Mrs B. Where is she?”  
Holding back tears, Jeannie indicated the closed door behind her, answering, “She’s locked herself in the bathroom and she won’t let me in.”  
His smile brightened as he whispered, “Let me try.”  
He went to the bathroom door and knocked. “Myka? Myka, it’s me. Will you let me in?”  
No answer was forthcoming, but he heard the sound of bare feet on the floor and the door being unlocked several seconds later. He winked at Mrs Bering and then entered the bathroom.

Myka was sitting on a bench in front of a large mirror, looking astonishing in her medieval white dress. Pete was stunned for a moment but was snapped out of it when he saw the sad look on his partner’s face. Crossing to kneel in front of her, he softly questioned, “Hey Mykes. What’s going on?”  
Staring vacantly ahead, she whispered, “I can’t do this, Pete.”  
Pete was confused, and narrowing his eyes, demanded, “Do what? Get married?”  
Myka nodded.

Pete’s confusion grew as he wondered what the hell had happened in the last twelve hours to change her mind. “Why? I thought you loved Helena.”  
Myka’s eyes began to focus as she yelled, “I do!”  
“What’s the problem then?” Scratching his head, Pete frowned at his partner, stating, “All you have to do is walk down the aisle, listen to the JP for a while and when she asks you, repeat those same two words and you get to live happily ever after with Helena.”  
Myka bit her bottom lip to keep herself from crying. “I’m scared,” she finally admitted in a small voice.  
“Of your feelings or hers?” Pete asked softly.  
“I know my feelings. She’s the most amazing person I’ve ever met. She’s beautiful, smart, sexy, and sassy; she makes my toes curl and she gives everything a meaning, she’s... my one.”  
“Then what are you scared of? Her feelings?” Throwing his hands up in the air, Pete rose from his knees and began to pace the room, growling, “Myka the woman bought you a manor to live in, she’s paying for your dream princess wedding… Hell, she gave you a grappler! And... she’s two months pregnant with your baby, even though she’s terrified. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.”  
“I don’t care about the money, Pete; I never did!” Smiling through her tears, Myka’s voice became wistful as she added, “And I’m very happy about the baby.”

Pete waited for the rest. “But?” he encouraged.  
“What if we’re not enough? What if I’m not enough?” Rising, Myka began her own pace around the small confines of the bathroom, arguing, “She’s HG Wells. She’s the mother of science fiction and one of the greatest minds of the last 200 years! I’m just little Myka Bering from Colorado Springs. I’m nothing special. I can’t compete with all the famous people she has met in her life, and the baby… The baby can’t replace Christina.”  
There, she’d said it. Dropping back down onto the bench, she felt the tears burning her eyes and bent her head, ashamed of herself. Pete came to sit next to her and took her hand in his.

“Myka, you’re one of the smartest people I know, but that is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard you say. First of all, you’re not marrying HG Wells; you’re marrying Helena. Second, you are special; you’re you. You’re smart, beautiful, and you can beat the crap out of any bad guy; which makes you the perfect match for Helena. Third, no one is asking you to compete with anyone. Helena is in love with you, and only you. And last but not least, you’re right; the baby can’t replace Christina. I don’t think Helena has agreed to have another child thinking that. We all know that she’s terrified of losing another child, but she wouldn’t be doing this if she didn’t love you. Myka, the woman gave her life for you, what more proof of love do you need? So you have two choices here. You can give into your fears, cancel everything, be miserable for the rest of your life and see your child every other weekend. Or you could trust her to love you, cherish you and take care of you for as long as you both shall live, be there to see your child grow, be born and become the second person you care the most about in this world and just be happy. Helena loves you, Myka. If you really, truly, doubt her feelings, then you should cancel the wedding right here and now because she doesn’t deserve to be hurt like this. But if you love her as much as you say you do, trust her and trust her feelings.   
Myka was crying openly now. “That was beautiful, Pete! You made me cry, you brat! I shouldn’t be crying on my wedding day!” Quickly turning and dabbing at the moisture on her cheeks, she met her partner’s eyes in the mirror, adding, “But you’re right. I wouldn’t have asked Helena to marry me if I didn’t know how she feels about me. And she wouldn’t have agreed to start a family with me if she didn’t love me. I was stupid for doubting her for even a second!”  
Rising, Myka hugged her partner tightly. They didn’t move for a few minutes; each of them needing a little comforting, pulling apart only when Jeannie knocked on the door, worried because she wasn’t hearing anything from the bathroom. “Myka? Are you alright? Should I go get Helena?”

Rolling her eyes, Myka called, “We’re okay, mom! And Helena can’t see me before the ceremony; it’s bad luck!”  
Pete could hear Jeannie laughing on the other side of the door, and raising his eyebrow, questioned, “You’re telling me you believe in that kind of thing?”  
“Not really, but in our line of work you never know.” Blushing, Myka dropped back to the bench as she confided, “That’s why I haven’t seen Helena since yesterday morning, and I won’t see her until the ceremony. She hasn’t seen my dress and I haven’t seen hers… And I’m wearing something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.”  
Pete smiled, his voice husky as he offered, “A girl’s gotta love her traditions.”  
Myka smiled at him, her voice breaking as she replied, “Absolutely.”  
“Ah! My mission here is done.” Glancing around, Pete rubbed his hands together and stated, “I should go, give you time to finish preparing and all.”  
“Okay.” Taking a deep breath, Myka pulled her emotions under control and then asked, “Hey where’s Lauren?”  
Pete had been dating a romance novelist for a few months now. She had come to Univille to find inspiration for a new novel and found Pete instead. Happiness filled his face as he replied, “She’s in the ball room, probably taking furious notes on the decor for her next novel.”  
Pete turned towards the door, freezing when she called, “Hey Pete!” Turning back with a raised eyebrow, he drawled, “Yeah?”

Winking at him, Myka whispered, “Thanks for the pep talk.”  
Pete smiled and winked back, returning, “What kind of best friend and best man would I be if I can’t help you at a moment like this?”  
Myka rose and placed a kiss on his cheek, dabbing the lipstick away as she murmured, “The best kind. Thank you.”  
Brushing a kiss on her cheek, he replied, “Anytime.”  
As Pete was leaving Myka’s room, his cell phone rang. Snagging it from his pocket, he glanced at the Caller ID and groaned. Lifting it to his ear, he growled, “Lattimer. What’s up, Claud?”  
The young woman was close to hysterical. “Pete! You have to come here quick! HG’s blown a gasket!”  
“Whoa! Calm down!” Sighing, he demanded, “What’s going on?”  
Tears filled Claudia’s voice as she hissed, “She’s locked herself in the bathroom and she won’t come out!”  
“What?” Clenching his empty hand into a fist, he growled, “Is there an epidemic or something?”  
Any trace of tears was gone as Claudia demanded, “What do you mean, an epidemic?”  
Pete sighed. “I’m on my way. Stay calm.”

Pete crossed the floor running. Helena had rented several rooms in the hotel and made sure her room was as far away from Myka’s as possible. Pete entered the room without knocking to find Claudia standing in front of the bathroom door, cajoling, “Come on HG, come out so we can talk about this!”  
The usual crisp, British voice was filled with emotion as the woman inside called, “Claudia, just go away!”  
Claudia’s eyes narrowed dangerously as she returned, “You know I can pick this door, right?”  
“Please, just leave me alone!” Helena’s voice broke on the last word, her emotions taking over as she burst into tears.  
Kicking the door at the sound of the tears, Claudia yelled, “You have guests waiting for your wedding!”  
There was a delicate sniffle, followed by a muted, “Tell them to go away!”  
Claudia was really starting to lose her temper now. Beating on the door, she screamed, “You’ve paid 70 grand for this damn wedding! I’m all dressed up and even got a streak in my hair to match your colors! How many people do you think I’d do that for?”  
Pete could almost see the Brit tossing her hair over her shoulder as she retorted, “I don’t care!”  
Seeing that Claudia was about to explode, Pete stepped in, softly calling, “Helena, it’s Pete. Would you open the door please?”  
“No!” The screeching reply filled the room, causing the occupants to wince as the shrill voice ordered, “Go away Pete! I don’t want to see anyone!”  
Pete sighed. What was it with these women? I was their wedding day; supposedly the most wonderful day of their life, and both of them had locked themselves in their bathrooms. Sighing, he leaned his forehead against the cool wood of the door and replied, “Sorry, not possible. Either you open the door on your own, or Claudia is picking it.”

When no sound had come from the room after five minutes, Claudia picked the lock and Pete slipped inside. The bathroom was a mess, with pieces of clothing all over the floor and dozens of tiny make-up pots on the counter. Thankfully, Helena didn’t look like an Indian chief with weird make-up on her face. Actually, she looked beautiful with her light make-up and her hair coiled into a bun on her neck. Problem was she was wearing her robe and not her dress; which was nowhere to be seen, and she was sitting on the bench in front of the mirror, just like Myka had a half-hour earlier. She didn’t look up when Pete entered and kept staring at the wall, clutching her locket.  
Closing the door quietly behind him, Pete leaned against it and nonchalantly asked, “So you want to tell me what’s going on or you want to play 20 questions?”  
Helena didn’t answer. Pete crossed his arms and surveyed the ceiling as he proposed, “Let me guess. You want to cancel everything because you’re scared that Myka doesn’t love you.”  
Helena jumped slightly and turned her head to meet his eyes in the mirror, questioning, “How could she? I’m damaged goods, Pete; she can’t love me. She should find a nice man to love her like she deserves, and have a family. If she stays with me she’ll be unhappy. I can’t make her happy. I’m a murderer and she should stay away from me.”  
God, how did he get himself into these situations? Crossing to the dressing table, he shoved the make-up away from the edge and perched there, asking, “Tell me Helena, do you think Myka is a good judge of character?”

Helena hesitantly nodded.  
Pete returned the nod. “So if Myka judges that you’re a good person, what would you say? Sure you have a troubled past, but who doesn’t? You spent over a hundred years frozen in carbonite to expel your past crimes and you gave your life once. I’d say that it all evens out in the grand scheme of things. Myka would never have asked you to marry her if she didn’t love you, and she wouldn’t have asked you to start a family with her either. Now the real question is; do you love her?”  
Dark, angry eyes met his in the mirror and her tone dripped with insult as she replied, “Of course I do!”  
“Do you tell her that she’s really wanted? That she’s the one?” Leaning forward and locking his gaze with hers, Pete demanded, “Do you feel her in your blood? Do you see your unborn children in her eyes? Do you give her faith, hold her tight? Do you give her a little tenderness? Do you treat her right? Because she will be there for you and take good care of you. If you can say yes to all these questions, then you can say you really, really love your woman.”  
Helena was a bit taken aback by the rapid succession of questions. Nodding, she whispered, “Ye… Yes. I can answer yes to all your questions.”  
Pete smiled. “Good! Because I asked Myka the same questions and she said yes to every single one. So I know she loves you and you love her too… But, I do have one last question though.”

Taking a deep breath, Helena turned to meet him face to face, nodding as she said, “I’m listening.”  
Grinning, Pete questioned, “Which half of the dessert would you give her?”  
Raising her eyebrow, the Brit answered, “I would give her the smaller half because I know she watches her weight, even if she doesn’t have to.” Grinning at a secret memory, she softly added, “But I would also share the bigger half with her, because I know that even though she says she doesn’t eat sugar, she has a sweet tooth and she loves dessert.”  
“And do you know why you know all these things about Myka?” Leaning closer, Pete took Helena’s hands in his, explaining, “It’s because she lets you know. She’s trusted you since day one and she wouldn’t open to you if she didn’t.”  
A smile finally lit up the Brit’s face. “Thank you Pete. I really appreciate what you just did.”   
“Hey! I’m your best man; it’s my job to get you to the altar so you can marry the woman you love… And you can’t do that wearing your robe.” Looking around, Pete frowned, demanding “Where’s your dress? I’ll get Claudia to help you.”  
An impish smile crossed Helena’s face as she answered, “I’m not wearing a dress.”

Pete was confused, but he’d long ago given up trying to anticipate the actions of this woman. Scratching his head, he teased, “Well, that’s certainly going to make quite an impression on the guests…”  
“Oh you!” Smacking him, Helena rose and walked to the closet tucked into the corner of the room, explaining, “I had a special tuxedo made. I… I’ll need your help getting dressed.”  
“Okay...Wow.” Rising from his perch, Pete looked around and stammered, “Just let me… Let me send Claudia to make sure Myka is ready and I’ll, ahh… Yeah, I’ll help you.”

An hour later, Helena was waiting at the altar, dressed in an old fashioned white tuxedo with a white top hat. When the music started, all the guests stood to watch Myka walk down the aisle. Artie looked like a proud papa bear, Warren couldn’t look happier and Pete was flat-out relieved. When the girls said “I do”, the rings were exchanged and they finally kissed each other, Pete let out a “Woohoo!” that filled the rafters and made everyone laugh.  
After the 14 course meal, everyone went to the dance floor to watch as the newlyweds danced their first dance to Could I Have This Dance, followed by “their” song; If You Can’t Sleep. When Bryan Adams’ Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman started playing, Helena stopped dancing, glanced around to find Pete and started laughing so hard, she had to sit. She gave two thumbs up to Pete; who was watching her with an innocent grin on his face, while dancing with his girlfriend Lauren.   
Lauren, noticing his grin, questioned, “What’s so funny?”

Ducking his head as he blushed, Pete nuzzled her neck and murmured, “I finally found a good use for all of those romance novels lying around Leena’s.”  
Pulling away from him, Lauren raised an eyebrow, returning, “Oh yeah… And what is that?”  
Glancing to where Helena and Myka sat cuddled together, Pete replied, “They are the ultimate user manual for men… Women are telling us exactly what they want in a relationship and how to fix everything… We just have to have the balls to pick the book up and read it.”  
Smiling, Lauren rested her head on his tuxedo-clad shoulder and murmured, “Drat! You’ve figured out our evil plan to take over the world!”  
“Take over the world?” Chuckling as Lauren nodded, Pete nodded to where his newlywed friends were passionately kissing and teased, “Honey, y’all already own it and don’t even have a damn clue…”

Later that night, the girls retired to the nuptial suite for a rest. They were leaving the next day for their honeymoon on a private Greek island before coming back to live in their new home. They were in love, they were happy and everything finally felt right.   
Holding her wife snugly in her arms, Myka linked their hands over Helena’s bare abdomen; cupping their unborn child between them. Brushing her lips against the other woman’s temple, Myka whispered, “I love you Helena. No matter what happens in the future with the crazy life we live, never forget that.”  
Rolling over to brush her lips over Myka’s, Helena’s eyes sparkled with mischief as she huskily replied, “That’s never going to be a problem darling… And if, perchance, either of us starts to forget, we can always get Pete to again ask us if we’ve ever really loved a woman…”


	7. Plaza Hotel

I challenged ms17sth to do a Bathroom Series chapter. This is what she came with.

 

The sheets beneath Myka felt cool in the places where she or Helena had not yet stretched out on. She lay there thinking that this was the happiest she had ever been. She snuggled closer to Helena who moaned but didn’t wake. She had been so tired that in spite of her excitement, sleep came easily. Now in the predawn hours of Manhattan, she couldn’t go back to sleep. She got up from the bed gently and opened the curtains that adorned the 26th story suite. She gazed out on the dark outline of sky scrapers that surrounded her. Looking down, she could see Central Park. Soon, the horse drawn carriages would be arriving, ‘Now that’s something Helena would enjoy,’ she thought. They had only a day in New York before taking off for their honeymoon. 

Myka went to the desk and opened up the hotel menu. She opened it to breakfast and couldn’t help be amazed at how expensive everything was here. She and Helena had agreed that they would spare no expense for the wedding and trip of a lifetime but $16 for a bagel and coffee was a bit extreme. She looked down and chose items that she thought Helena would like including English breakfast tea and scones. She went into the adjoining room where she dialed the hotel staff and ordered.  
Many of the guests from the wedding had stayed over at the hotel. Pete and Lauren were hosting a luncheon for them. Myka was very grateful but she secretly had wished that everyone would leave and go home. She was anxious to begin her new life and preferred to be alone in New York with HG. She laughed at her own thought. She checked on Helena who was still sound asleep in the oversized bed, lost in a sea of fluffy pillows and blankets. 

Myka looked down at her lying there peacefully. She thought back to the first time she saw Helena and how taken she was with her from the start. She had just been informed by Artie that the great HG Wells was in fact a woman. And when Pete sheepishly added, ‘a hot woman’, Myka didn’t say it but couldn’t have agreed more. Looking at her, her gun aimed held steady on her, Myka felt her hands shaking. She had apprehended her share of criminals, both men and women but not one of them ever made her feel that way. Pete had suggested they handcuff her and when she slowly ran her finger over Myka’s hand, Myka was both surprised at how brazen the woman was and excited by the stroke.  
She would soon learn that brazen was something her partner ate for breakfast. She had moved quickly and Myka, in spite of instincts telling her this woman was trouble, surrendered. She never regretted giving in and now the ultimate reward lie in the bed. She watched Helena’s breathing and wondered what was going on in that magnificent brain of hers for she was sure that even while she slept, it was working. 

She still had an hour before the food arrived. Apparently, placing the breakfast order at 5:30 AM was still considered late. Helena was not moving and so Myka decided she would take a shower. She walked into the massive marbled bathroom and wondered if there was a way for Helena to copy the design for their house. She bit her lip as she tried to decide if she wanted to take a shower or a bath. The shower offered pulsating jets that would feel wonderful on her shoulders and back. The large Jacuzzi style tub also offered that feature and so she decided to run the bath. The noise of running water pounding down into the tub echoed off the walls as Myka waited for a decent amount to accumulate. She sat on the side of the bathtub and stuck her feet in first. After hours of dancing the night before, they were tender and sore. 

Myka glanced around and there on the other side were some soaps and bubble bath crystals. She slid out of her robe, and slowly lowered herself into the warm water. She took the bottle with the bubble bath and opened the top and let some fall into the water. A little more than actually was required she thought but what the hell. The water was high enough to cover her shoulders now and felt delicious as she sank back against the smooth tile. She sat like that for several minutes, listening to the honking horns below from cabbies that didn’t care who was sleeping. Finally, Myka opened her eyes and looked at the three dials. She pushed one in and the jets started to slowly push water at a slow speed through them. Myka adjusted herself so that her back was in front of one. The feeling of water pushing into sore muscles felt great and Myka slowly drifted off. 

Helena rolled over in bed and felt her partner’s absence. She jumped up only to hear the sound of water shooting out of a faucet behind the closed door and the knock on the front door of the suite. She grabbed her robe, opened the door and let the waiter in. He rolled the table in with their breakfast and set it up. Helena gazed out on the City skyline. It was a magnificent place indeed. Helena had once heard it called ‘The Center of the World’ and she could understand why. 

After several more minutes, Helena decided to tap on the bathroom door. She called Myka but there was no answer. She decided that the hum of the jets in the water was perhaps making it too difficult to hear. So she slowly opened the door to the huge room. There on the other side was the Jacuzzi and what appeared to be several inches of white foam atop it. She looked for Myka but she was nowhere to be found. She went over to the tub and found her dark haired partner with her head titled to the side completely unaware of what she had done. Helena picked up the bottle of crystals and laughed out loud when she realized Myka had fallen asleep in her own bubble enclosure.  
She reached down and touched Myka’s jaw. Myka woke with a start and feared the worst as she realized she was asleep and now lying in something wet. But the face smiling down at her pushing the foam away between them, assured her all was right with the world. Myka knew she had to be gentle when she reached up and pulled Helena, against her wishes, into the water still in her pajamas. She protested and squealed and cried ‘no!’ but Myka’s mind was made up. She was going to have breakfast in the bathroom.


	8. Gone

Helena was at Lily’s Café with Lauren, enjoying a plate of extra spicy nachos with a chocolate milkshake. Usually she couldn’t stand the sight of either thing, but since the beginning of her pregnancy she’d been craving the most unusual things. Myka was watching her diet like a hawk; always hovering and not wanting her to suffer pregnancy diabetes or to gain too much weight. Most of the time, Helena didn’t care and let Myka fuss about the food, but today the craving had been too strong and Helena had decided to indulge herself. Lauren had encouraged her, saying that part of the joy of being pregnant was doing things you would normally feel guilty doing. Helena was finishing her milkshake when Lily arrived in a rush; her brother Alec in tow.   
Throwing her arms around Helena’s expanded tummy, the whirlwind exclaimed, “Plum Fairy! We’re ready for our story!”   
Not to be left out, Alec piped in, “Yeah!” 

Helena looked over to the counter where Josie was taking off her apron and waving goodbye to them; leaving Felicia in charge of the café for the next hour or so while Helena and Lauren took care of the children. Lily was now five and Alec was two. Helena, their Plum Fairy, had been telling them stories for years.   
Smiling brightly at two of her favourite people, she gently ordered, “Alright children, get comfortable.”   
The children climbed onto the couch facing Helena, who put her empty glass on the table next to her and shifted in an effort to get comfortable as well. Shoving a curved pillow into the small of her back, she said, “Righty-o then! Where did I leave the story last week?”   
“The fairy was possessed by a demon and was on her way to a volcano with the magic trident,” replied Lily, bouncing on her seat.   
Nodding, Helena continued the story, telling them about how the fairy wanted to end the world and how the princess saved her with the help of her friend, the wizard. The princess was trying to convince the fairy that ending the world wouldn’t help her feel better, when Helena started feeling pressure on her bladder. The one thing she truly didn’t like about being pregnant was having to pee every ten minutes. She excused herself to the children and went to the bathroom.   
Lauren kept an eye on the children; wondering if she could talk Helena into writing her stories. They were quite entertaining, kept the children enraptured with the tales, and she was sure her editor would be interested. 

In the bathroom, Helena was washing her hands when she caught a glimpse of someone else in the room. She was reaching for a paper towel to dry her hands when someone grabbed her from behind and shoved a thick cloth over her mouth and nose. Smelling the familiar scent of chloroform, Helena panicked and tried to get free, but her attacker was quite strong and her mobility was not only compromised by the arms her attacker had wrapped around her, but by her pregnancy as well. She tried not to breathe the drug but it worked only for a moment; her reduced lung capacity causing her to gasp, deeply inhaling the drug. Her last conscious thought was for the children who would be sad not to hear the end of her story. 

Lauren started to worry when Helena still hadn’t returned from the bathroom after 10 minutes. Perhaps there was something wrong with the baby or maybe Helena had had a dizzy spell and fallen. Fear for her friend drove Lauren to her feet, where she took the kids to Felicia, saying she needed to check on Helena and that they would be right back to finish the story.   
In the bathroom, the only sign of Helena was a bright yellow flip flop she had been wearing in the last few months due to her swollen feet. Lauren picked it up, her worries now turning into fears. She was debating what her next move would be, when someone grabbed her from behind and put a cloth over her mouth and nose. Darkness soon invaded her mind and she slowly fell into her assailant’s waiting arms. 

~*~

The phone rang in the café and before Felicia could catch her, Lily answered; her voice very formal as she said, “Lily’s Café. This is Lily speaking, how may I help you?”   
Myka couldn’t help but smile at hearing the little girl trying to be all grown up. “Hey Lily, it’s Myka.”   
“MYKA!” All formality was gone as the girl’s ear-splitting cry echoed through the line. The caller was forced to hold the receiver away from her ear as the child continued, “I MISS you! When are you coming to see me?”   
Myka’s heart was warmed by the girl’s response, and replied, “I’m in Hawaii right now, so I can’t come today… but I promise I’ll come to see you soon pumpkin. Listen, is Helena at the café?”   
“She’s in the bathroom and it’s taking forever!” Myka could almost see the girl rolling her eyes as Lily added, “Lauren is with her and it’s still taking forever!”   
Myka grew more concerned. Pete had had a bad vibe a few minutes ago and asked her to check on their girls. When Helena hadn’t answered her cell phone, Myka had tried the café, knowing it was story time. Forcing herself to remain calm, she requested, “Lily, may I talk to Felicia?”   
“Yes.” Turning and waving the older woman over, Lily added, “Bye Myka!”   
“Bye Lily.” The agent waited nervously for the waitress to pick up the phone, tapping her fingernails on the phone until the other woman’s voice said, “Hello, Myka?”   
“Felicia! Hi!” Forcing a smile into her voice, Myka explained, “I’m trying to reach Helena and she doesn’t answer her phone. Lily said she’s been in the bathroom with Lauren for a while. Do you mind checking on them?”   
“Of course not!” Concern for the pregnant woman washed over Felicia, and glancing around she added, “Just let me get someone to watch the nuggets and I’ll call you back.”   
Shaking her head before she realized that the other woman couldn’t see her, Myka stated, “I’ll hold.” 

Felicia placed the phone on the counter and asked Melissa, the other waitress, to keep an eye on the children. Then she went to the bathroom where she found the flip flop and no trace of the women. Frowning, she hurried back to the phone, saying, “Myka? They’re not in the bathroom. Maybe they went out the back and went to the doctor? Should I call the police?”   
Myka felt a cold wave of fear wash over her. “No. No, don’t call the police. I’ll take care of everything. Bye.”   
Myka quickly disconnected the call and took the Farnsworth from Pete, who demanded, “The police? What’s going on Myka?”   
Myka was waiting anxiously for Claudia to answer her Farnsworth as she explained, “They aren’t at the café. Felicia thinks they might have left to go to the doctor.”   
Pete felt his heart skip a beat as fear slammed into him, and he practically yelled, “Is something wrong with the baby? What’s going on?”   
Irritated by his questions that she didn’t have answers to, she growled, “I don’t know, Pete!”   
Claudia finally answered her Farnsworth. “Hey Myka! Did you get the artifact?”   
“Yeah, we have it,” Myka replied absently before moving on. “Listen, Helena and Lauren are missing from Lily’s Café… Can you check the hospitals to see if they checked in recently?” 

Frowning, Claudia set her desk chair flying across the floor, her fingers already reaching for her keyboard as she replied, “On it!”   
Claudia’s fingers flew over the keyboard of her computer in a blur of motion, pulling up the info she’d requested within seconds. Turning back to her Farnsworth, she advised, “They haven’t checked in at the doctor’s office… At least not yet. Do you think there’s something wrong with the baby?”   
“I don’t know.” Myka’s voice broke on the last word, and blinking back tears of frustration, she asked, “Can you pinpoint their location with their cell phones?”   
“Way ahead of you.” Claudia’s fingers flew once more and she was rewarded with a beep of the machine right before she said, “Uh oh… The phones are at Lily’s.”   
“Damn it!” Slamming her fist against the wall she fought for control of her emotions, barely focusing on Claudia’s voice as the younger woman said, “Myka, listen. There’s nothing you can do from where you are. If you have the artifact, come back here ASAP and I’ll keep trying to find them.”   
Nodding, Myka shared a glance with Pete, who was mimicking her action. Clearing her throat, she advised, “We’re on our way. Keep us updated and let us know the second you find them.” 

Myka turned off the Farnsworth, closed it and put it in her bag. Meeting Pete’s brown eyes, she whispered, “I really don’t like this. I have a bad feeling.”   
Pete looked worried; scared even, as he questioned, “Do you think someone could have taken them from the café? Or they’re at the doctor’s office?”   
“I don’t know Pete!” Myka yelled. Instantly regretting having yelled at her friend and partner, she placed her hand on his arm, softly adding, “I’ve been with you the entire time, so you know as much as I do. I just hope they’re safe and they’re together. Now… Claudia’s right, there’s nothing we can do from here, so let’s go home and hope Claudia has them safe and sound by the time we get there.”   
Pete stared at her as though she’d grown two heads, growling, “Your wife and child are missing, how can you stay so calm?”   
Myka’s tone was sober as she replied, “Because if I start thinking about what could have happened to them, I will lose it.”   
Pete reached out to hug her but she jumped away, shaking her head as she whispered, “Please don’t Pete. If you hug me, I’m going to lose it and I… I can’t afford to lose it right now.”   
Her partner was silent for several long seconds before nodding at her and motioning towards the waiting vehicle. Returning the nod, Myka took a deep breath and forced herself to relax as the two agents got into their rental car and left for the airport. 

~*~

Fifteen hours later, they were finally back at the warehouse and they still had no news from Helena or Lauren. Both Pete and Myka were rumpled, exhausted and worried sick. Artie, Steve and Claudia had gone to the café with the durational spectrometer and had seen both women being abducted by a tall woman wearing a ski mask and dark clothes. They had been placed in an SUV and taken away. The plate of the SUV had been reported stolen the night before and had led nowhere. Steve had interrogated all the customers in the café, but no one had seen or heard anything. Claudia was now tracking the SUV on the traffic cameras and Artie was arguing with Mrs Frederick on the Farnsworth about what to do next.   
Artie wanted to report the women missing, but the intimidating woman stated, “I know that Miss Carter is a civilian Arthur, but Agent Wells is a warehouse agent; even while on maternity leave, and you will not involve any other agencies in the search.”   
On that note, the Sage disconnected, leaving Artie glaring at the receiver before slamming it down. Pete wasn’t very happy with her either, and his tone was shrill as he screeched, “What? But we need help to check the airports and to look for them! Mrs F. just expects us to do nothing and wait for a ransom call or for us to go indentify the bodies at the morgue? Ouch!” 

Pete hadn’t seen Myka’s fist flying at his cheek and he winced as she shrieked, “I forbid you to say that! Don’t even think it!”   
Myka stormed out, leaving Pete massaging his jaw. Claudia looked at him with disapproving eyes, her tone dripping with disgust as she hissed, “Why would you say such a horrible thing, Pete?”   
“I don’t know, I didn’t think!” Rubbing the palms of his hands over his eyes, he muttered, “I’m sorry! I’m just so damned scared.”   
“You don’t sound like it.” Waiting until his head whipped up, Claudia ignored the anger in his eyes as she added, “You know, declaring them dead already and all.”   
“They’re not dead okay? Don’t say that! They can’t be dead! I would have felt it!” Taking a deep, calming breath, he stated, “We will find where they are. Then we’ll go get them and beat the crap out of the person who took them! You keep looking for that car; I have a few phone calls to make.”   
“Mrs Frederick specifically ordered us not to do that,” Artie said from his position at the table. 

Pausing at the doorway, Pete turned to glare at his boss, growling, “I don’t care about what she ordered. My girlfriend, my kid and my best friend’s wife have been kidnapped by some mysterious woman that we know nothing about. I’m not going to sit on my ass and do nothing, alright? I will find them; even if it’s the last thing I do, no matter what everyone says!”   
Artie had expected the reaction and sighed. “I’m sorry, Pete. I can’t let you do that.”   
Without warning, Artie lifted his Tesla from beneath the table and shot Pete, who dropped to the ground like a bag of potatoes. Claudia jumped to her feet; shocked, and demanded, “Whoa! What the frak Artie?”   
“I had to.” Sighing, he placed his hands under Pete’s arms and tugged, ordering, “Help me get him over there. He’s going to be out for a while.”   
Claudia’s eyes widened as she lifted Pete’s feet, and glancing down at the unconscious man, she gasped, “You didn’t use the modified Tesla did you?”   
“Yes.” Grunting with the effort of lifting his agent, Artie backed towards the broken-down sofa as he breathlessly added, “He’ll sleep a few… hours and it’ll give us… time to find… Find HG and Lauren.” 

Not happy with the man she viewed as her honorary father; Claudia helped Artie to settle Pete on the sofa and then went back to her research, offering the older man the silent treatment. It wouldn’t have taken her so long normally but the woman who had kidnapped HG and Lauren was good. There weren’t that many traffic cameras in Univille and in the surrounding cities, but the kidnapper had managed to avoid most of them. It was a bit harder for Claudia to track the car, but she finally hit a great lead. While she followed it via the computer, Steve and Artie were trying to find a strategy to get the two women back. 

Myka had stormed out of Artie’s office and started running in the warehouse aisles. She ran until she found herself in front of the Pete Cave. Needing a moment for herself, she entered the sacred sanctum, praying Pete didn’t find her in there. She saw the sandbag in a corner and quickly crossed to it; letting her anger erupt as she began to punch the hell out of it. She couldn’t lose Helena. Not again. She couldn’t live without her. And she couldn’t stand the idea of something happening to the baby either. She was totally in love with the little being growing inside of Helena and couldn’t wait to meet him or her. Losing this part of the woman she loved was as unbearable as losing the woman herself. Myka kept punching and kicking the sandbag until a bark made her jump. She turned to see Trailer looking at her with sad eyes. Myka swept away the tears that had fallen on her cheeks and followed Trailer out of the Pete Cave. Artie had trained his dog to fetch his agents when they were working in the warehouse. 

When Myka entered Artie’s office, Claudia glanced at her, paled and ran towards her in panic. “Myka! Oh my God, what happened? Are you hurt?”   
Myka was puzzled. “What are you talking about, Claud? Did you find them?”   
Claudia delicately took Myka’s hands in hers and lifted them. Following the younger woman’s gaze, Myka was surprised to see them swollen and bloody. Shaking off the shocking sight, she said, “Well that’s not important. Did you find them?”   
Claudia ignored her friend’s question and carefully studied the injured hands, shaking her head. “You’re going to need some x-rays, Myka. I think you have at least three broken fingers.”   
Myka grew impatient and jerked her hands away, snarling, “Claudia, I’m fine! Did you find Helena and Lauren?”   
“Yes, I found them in La Crosse, Wisconsin.” Indicating the monitor behind her, Claudia explained, “A private plane with seven passengers on board took off a few hours ago. According to the manifest, one of the passengers was a pregnant woman.”   
Myka’s hopes sank. “It doesn’t mean it’s them.”   
“I wasn’t done with my explanation.” Hitting a few keys, she caused the screen to change and pointed to the new information. “The plane was supposed to leave for Montreal, but it disappeared from the radar shortly after take-off. They sent people to investigate but there was no crash, no explosion, nothing. The plane just vanished without a trace. What does it sounds like to you?” 

Myka nodded, conceding, “Yes it sounds artifact-y but it’s still not a proof that it’s them!”   
Claudia held up a finger on her right hand while her left pushed yet more keys, nodding to the black box that popped up on the screen, she added, “I hacked into the camera system at the airport. I don’t have a clear image, but two of the people who got in the plane were clearly not walking on their own… Including the pregnant woman.”   
“Let me see.” Pushing forward to peer at the monitor, Myka paused; glancing around as she suddenly demanded, “Hey! Where are Artie and Pete?”   
Claudia stood and pushed Myka onto her chair to show her what she had and used her eyes to silently order Steve to get the First Aid kit. Glancing back down at the other woman, she explained, “Pete got sick after Artie shot him with the modified Tesla, so Artie took him to the showers to get cleaned up.”   
Myka heard the words, but wasn’t listening. She was looking at the grainy video showing the plane being boarded from afar, and the two incapacitated women that weren’t willing passengers. One of them was clearly Helena. Myka knew that body too well not to recognize her wife. While Myka was watching, Claudia accepted the kit from Steve, cleaning and bandaging her hands. She gave a jerk as Myka suddenly stated, “We have to go to Wisconsin.”  
“You really should get your hands checked out,” Claudia insisted with a shake of her head.   
“There’s no time for that!” Brightening suddenly as she realized where they were, she whirled around in the chair, questioning, “Is there an artifact that could help?” 

Claudia hesitated. Artie would kill her if she…  
“Tell me!” Myka’s growl interrupted her musings; and deciding that her boss was the lesser of two evils, she replied, “Okay! Okay! I know there’s a necklace from an Iroquois shaman that can heal. But the down side is bad… very bad. The second you remove the necklace, all your injuries will come back, three times worse.”   
Myka didn’t hesitate. She had to do whatever it took to save her wife. Nodding at Claudia, she ordered, “Go get it before Artie gets back.”   
Hedging, Claudia softly questioned, “Myka, are you sure about this? It’s not like you to use an artifact for personal gain.”   
Myka glared at her. Her eyes narrowing dangerously as she hissed, “My wife and child are missing and I’ll do whatever it takes to get them back. What. Ever. It. Takes. No matter the consequences to myself, I won’t sit on my ass and do nothing. So if you won’t go get that necklace right now, get out of my way ‘cause I’m going after my wife and child the way I am!” 

“Okay! Okay!” Holding her hands up defensively, Claudia moved towards the door, adding, “I’m going!”   
Claudia left Artie’s office in a hurry. Myka rose stiffly to her feet and started pacing the office. Claudia came back quickly and placed the necklace around Myka’s neck. Myka felt a tingle all over her body and Claudia removed the bandages from her hands. Myka looked at them and was pleased to see the swelling was gone. She hid the necklace under her shirt just as Artie and Pete came back.   
“There you are! We’re going to Wisconsin. Now!” Myka ordered.   
“Hold on! Do you mind filling me in before ordering my people around?” Artie asked, his dark eyes wrinkled in confusion.   
“Claudia thinks she’s found Helena and Lauren in La Crosse, Wisconsin.” Indicating the monitor behind her, Myka added, “They were taken in a plane and the plane disappeared.”   
“Then we have to go to Wisconsin! Now! Why are we still here? Let’s go!” Pete urged frantically.   
“Ok, ok! You’re going, but Steve is going with you and he’s driving,” Artie ordered.   
“Fine. Let’s go!” Myka was out the door before Artie was done talking. She exited the umbilicus at a run and got into the passenger’s seat of Steve’s Prius. The guys got in the car quietly and they left for Wisconsin. Myka was running on 36 hours of no sleep, combined with jet lag and raw nerves. At first she could barely sit still, but after only half an hour on the road, the purr of the motor eased the tension crawling across her shoulders and she fell asleep despite the huge coffee she had downed before leaving Univille. The guys kept the chatting to a minimum, exchanging commentary about road directions and odd highway signs. They finally awakened Myka ten minutes before arriving in La Crosse. 

At the airport, Pete and Myka flashed their credentials and were quickly granted access to the video surveillance tapes. While Myka was watching them, the guys began questioning the airport employees, with few results. Once again, no one had seen or heard anything strange besides the fact that two of the women boarding the plane had needed help to walk. The plane had vanished from the radar within an hour of take off and no trace of wreckage had been found. There had been no particular sound or flash of light or anything that would suggest a specific artifact at work.   
Suddenly Myka gasped and pointed at the screen, ordering, “Oh my God, guys, look at this!”   
Pete and Steve hurried to where she sat at the surveillance console and looked at what Myka was pointing to. Pete was stunned. Shaking his head, he demanded, “What? Why? That’s impossible!”   
Meeting her friends bewildered brown eyes, Myka stood, ordering, “We’re going home! Now!” 

TBC…


	9. Found

When Helena regained consciousness, she was in a car with her hands bound in front of her. Her head was fuzzy and heavy, so she kept her eyes closed and let her other senses provide the information she needed. She heard a woman talking on the phone in a language she couldn’t understand, but she thought was Arabic. There was at least another person in the car with them, maybe two. Her nose didn’t detect anything peculiar. Helena tested the bindings on her hands, but the sharp-edged plastic cut into her flesh and she stopped pulling. She opened her eyes slightly and turned her head. She was surprised to see Lauren right next to her, her hands bound as well and her eyes closed. Helena wondered who had taken them and why. Since Lauren was with her, it might not actually have anything to do with the warehouse.   
The car came to a stop and Helena hurriedly closed her eyes. It was better to let the enemy think she was still under the influence of the chloroform, to allow a better chance to strike when they were least suspecting it. She heard the driver exit the car, followed by her accomplice in the passenger seat. Now she knew for sure that she had two enemies. She would have to wait for the perfect moment to take them down and get herself and Lauren back home.

Unfortunately for her, her captors had noticed she was awake and sneaked up to give her a tranquilizer with a little dart. Helena felt her senses dulling and as her head lolled like a rag dolls on the seat; she silently cursed herself for not being more cautious. The driver; a statuesque blonde, used another tranquilizer dart on a slowly rousing Lauren before she awoke as well. Both women were then helped out of the car and led to a plane, where Helena found herself seated in front of a man she was not pleased to see. Parts of the puzzle finally clicked into place for her, but the drugs she had been given caught up with her and she fell asleep.

***

When Lauren awoke, she was confused and her head was pounding. She was sitting in a plane and had no idea how she had gotten there. The seat where she was sprawled was rather comfy and she could see she was in a private plane. There was a woman sitting in front of her, daintily drinking something from a cup. Lauren rubbed her eyes and slowly sat up, looking at the woman. She had the impression that she knew her, but she couldn’t figure out exactly where it was from.  
The woman’s hooded eyes studied her for several long seconds before she quietly offered, “Welcome back to Awake Land, Miss Carter. Would you like a cup of coffee?”  
Lauren nodded and the woman poured her a cup, saying, “You like it black I believe?”  
Lauren took the cup, her eyes narrowing as she demanded, “How do you know that?”  
The woman smiled at her. “I know a lot about you.”  
At the other woman’s words Lauren hesitated to drink the coffee, but the woman smiled again, stating, “I promise you, there’s only coffee in your cup. We won’t have to sedate you for now.”

Lauren’s curiosity was piqued by the woman’s words. Carefully cupping the steaming cup in her hands, she questioned, “We?”  
The woman ignored the question and continued. “As I said, I know a lot about you. For instance, I know you’re a writer. A very good writer I must say. I read some of your books before I got to know you a little better.”  
Lauren had no idea where this conversation was going. The woman reached out to the table next to her and retrieved a large stack of paper that was familiar to Lauren. Her eyes widened as she yelped, “My manuscript! What are you doing with my manuscript?”  
“We managed to snatch it from your editor before it was sent to the printer. I’m rather irritated to say that we almost didn’t get it on time.” Narrowing her eyes, the woman added, “I was sorry we had to let it get this far, but I never thought your editor would go for it.”

Lauren was stunned. “So this is why you drugged me and brought me here? Because of my new book? What are you, some kind of fancy billionaire who somehow got her hands on my book, but didn’t like it, so you stole it and kidnapped me?”  
The woman took another sip of her coffee and remained very calm as she quietly asked, “Do you have any idea how dangerous this book is?”  
“Dangerous?” Lauren stared at her companion as though she’d lost her mind, defending, “It’s a love story about two CIA agents who travel around the world to collect dangerous objects and put them in Area 51. I had the idea when my boyfriend and I watched Raiders of the Lost Ark. My book isn’t dangerous!”  
Taking another sip of her coffee, the woman asked, “What does your boyfriend do for a living?”  
“He’s an IRS agent and so are two of my sisters-in-law.” Lauren replied automatically and then shook her head, muttering, “But you probably know that already.”  
The woman thought for a moment. “What if I told you that your book could harm lives; especially those of your boyfriend and your sisters-in-law?”  
Shaking her head, Lauren argued, “How? The book has nothing to do with them!”

Shaking her head, the other woman countered, “On the contrary, it has everything to do with them.”  
Lauren was getting impatient. “What are you talking about? Who are you? What do you want from me?”  
“I’m talking about your boyfriend, Miss Carter.” Carefully setting her coffee cup on the table, the woman folded her hands and questioned, “How well do you know him? Do you love him?”  
Anger erupted from Lauren as she growled, “That is none of your business!”  
The woman raised an eyebrow and retorted, “As a matter of fact it is my business.”  
As she read the familiar expression on her companions face, Lauren finally figured out who she was.

***

On the other side of the plane, Helena was slowly waking up from a dream filled with Myka and babies. She opened her eyes with a smile on her lips, which quickly faded away when she realized she wasn’t in their bed, but on a couch and covered with a blanket. Remembering the day’s events, she sat up straight, trying to figure out where she was. The man sitting in front of her greeted her with a solemn face. “Good evening, agent Wells. Did you sleep well?”  
Helena looked at him with a scowl. “It’s Wells-Bering now. But, you should know that, seeing as you were at the wedding.”  
He acknowledged her correction with a nod of his head. “My apologies. I trust you are feeling alright?”

Helena took a moment to assess how she felt. Aside from a slight headache and feeling groggy, she felt fine. However, she was concerned for the baby. She had no idea how the drugs she had been given would affect it. Clearing her throat, she replied, “I am well, but I must warn you… If what you gave me has harmed the baby in any way, there is no place on Earth where you’ll be safe from us.”  
The man smiled reassuringly. “The baby is fine. Nurse Brown examined you while you were asleep. I assure you, he’s alive and kicking.”  
Helena felt a shot of hope as she questioned, “Gloria’s here?”  
“No.” Shaking his head, he explained, “Another Nurse Brown.”

Helena nodded, then placed her hand tenderly on her swollen stomach, smiling as she whispered, “So you’re a boy then.”  
The man look surprised. “You didn’t know?”  
“He was hiding during the ultrasound. We have an appointment with Dr. Calder next week to see who’s growing in there.” Continuing to rub her hand over her stomach, she requested, “Now, would you tell me why I’m here and where Lauren is… or did you just want to have company for tea?”  
The man uncrossed his legs and took a stack of neatly handwritten paper from the table next to him and handed it to her.  
“I see you went to visit Miss DePriest in New York before kidnapping me.” Casting a bewildered look in his direction, she demanded, “Why would you take a children’s book manuscript from my editor, Mister Kosan?”

The sardonic smile she’d come to hate filled his face as he replied, “We were concerned about its content.”  
“What do you mean?” inquired the Brit.  
A lazy shrug preceded, “You reveal too much information about your work in it.”  
“Please, it’s a story about a fairy, a princess and a knight.” Smacking the arm of her chair, Helena argued, “Hardly anything to do with my work.”  
“And correct me if I’m wrong, but their friend the wizard sends them across the realm to collect magical objects.” Raising his eyebrow, Kosan’s tone dripped with sarcasm as he asked, “You don’t see our concern?”  
Throwing her hands up in the air, she hissed, “I fail to see who would see the link between my story and my work.”  
The eyebrow went up even higher as he calmly questioned, “You remember Walter Sykes, yes?”  
Helena looked at him as if he was dumb. “Oh course!”

“There are other people; as dangerous as mister Sykes, who would very well see the link between your book and your work.” Shaking his head, Kosan stated, “We cannot allow its publication.”  
Helena was disappointed. She had been looking forward being published again and this time she would have had all the credit she deserved. But she understood why her book was being shot down. What she didn’t understand, however, was why she was in a plane on her way to God knows where.  
Crossing her arms over her stomach, she narrowed her eyes at Kosan, demanding, “Why am I here? You could have come to see me at work. Why go all this trouble? And where’s Lauren?”  
“Miss Carter is well. She’s in another section of this plane.” Folding his hands gracefully together, he explained, “As for you… You weren’t supposed to be here. Our field agent had to improvise and you were brought here with Miss Carter. You will be sent home soon. In the mean time, enjoy the flight.”  
The man got up to leave but Helena stopped him. “Hold on. Why was she brought here? Is she a threat?”

Kosan’s face closed down as he replied, “That does not concern you.”  
“The hell it doesn’t!” Struggling to rise to her feet in indignation, Helena gave up and sat back in the seat, yelling, “She’s like my sister-in-law and agent Lattimer cares a great deal about her! I need to know why she was brought here!”  
Ignoring her outburst, Kosan turned towards the other section of the plane, ordering, “Make yourself comfortable, we should be landing in about an hour.”  
The man left and locked the door of the cabin behind him, leaving an irate Helena alone.

***

Lauren looked at the woman facing her. She had never thought she would meet her this way. Clearing her throat, she softly questioned, “Why was I really brought here? Is it because of my book or because you feel I pose a threat to your son?”  
Jane placed the cup she’d just lifted to her mouth back on the table beside her to hide the shaking in her hands. Meeting Lauren’s eyes, she said, “You needed to be taken care of. You can’t be with my son.”  
Lauren was stunned. “I beg you pardon?”  
“You are a danger to Peter and I will have none of it.” Jane smoothed the edges of her skirt, advising, “We are relocating you and making sure you stay away from him.”  
“How am I a danger? Because of my book?” Forcing herself to act as though the book meant nothing, Lauren added, “Fine, I won’t publish it if that’s what’s bothering you. But, no matter where I am, I’ll find a way to get back to him.”  
Jane had a determined look in her eyes. “Not if you don’t remember him.”

“You’ll have to hit me pretty hard to make me forget him.” Gritting her teeth to bite back her anger, Lauren took a deep breathe before softly offering, “Mrs. Lattimer, you don’t know me. How can you judge if I’m a so-called danger to your son?”  
Jane’s face became unreadable as she inquired, “Did you know I was not only his mother but also his boss?”  
Laurent thought for a moment before she made her next move. “In that case, let me be honest with you. I know Pete’s not really an IRS agent. I mean, really… how many IRS agents carry a gun? I know he’s a federal agent; probably CIA or NSA and that he, Myka, Helena, Claudia, Steve and Artie are working on super secret stuff. I don’t know what, exactly, and I don’t care. I know Pete hasn’t told me the truth about what he does in order to protect me. The less I know, the safer I am if an enemy kidnaps me. I love your son Mrs Lattimer. I love him with all of my heart and I’m ready to do anything to be with him; even not publish my book. And the only one who can tell me I’m not good enough for Pete, is Pete. Your son is a good man; he’s kind, funny and generous. I don’t know many guys who would agree to have a child with their best friend, but he’s embraced it with open arms… And that’s just another of the reasons I love him.”

Jane was stunned. She blinked several times before screeching, “He did WHAT?”  
Lauren paled. Opening and closing her mouth, she finally managed, “He agreed to be the father of Myka and Helena’s child.”  
Some of the tension eased from Jane’s face as she clarified, “You mean he agreed to raise the kid?”  
“Uh... yeah but...” Feeling distinctly uncomfortable discussing Pete’s impending fatherhood with his mother, Lauren, stammered, “He… He’s the biological father as well. I, ah… You didn’t know?”  
“No.” Jane’s tone could shatter glass as she primly added, “I didn’t know my son would stoop so low; as to risk breaking up a marriage, just in order to get laid.”  
“No!” Lauren was horrified. “Do you even know your own son or you’re just totally mad? Pete would never, ever do that! The girls asked him to be their baby daddy and he accepted because he’s a very generous and kind man. He didn’t sleep with Helena and he never will. I do hope I’m satisfying him well enough in bed so that he will never think of having a mistress. He’s going to be a wonderful father, and I admire and love him for what he did.”

Jane was quiet for several minutes, and then she rose without a word and left, leaving Lauren alone.

***

Myka, Pete and Steve finally arrived back at the warehouse. Pete and Myka were furious as they slammed through the door from the umbilicus, making Artie look up anxiously.  
“What did you guys find out in Wisconsin?” Claudia asked, the hope in her eyes dying as she saw that Lauren and Helena weren’t with them. Shaking her head, she whispered, “It wasn’t them? Damn, I was so sure!”  
“It was them,” Myka hissed, turning to glare at Artie. She studied him with barely concealed hatred as she hissed, “And we even know who took them. The question now is, why?”  
Holding his hands up, Artie defended himself, growling, “Don’t look at me like that, I don’t know anything!”  
“Oh really?” Pete marched toward his boss, the anger vibrating from him in waves, as he demanded, “You didn’t know that my mother and Mr. Kosan have kidnapped my girlfriend and Myka’s wife and flown them off to god knows where?”  
“What?” Shaking his head at the preposterousness of Pete’s question, Artie argued, “That is absurd!”

Myka menacingly approached Artie from the other side, effectively hemming the older man between her and Pete. Pointing a finger at him, she ordered, “Swear to me you didn’t know about this, Artie. Swear to me, because if you did and didn’t do anything to stop it, I promise you I’ll kill you myself and no one will ever find your body.”  
“He didn’t know, agent Bering.” Mrs. Frederick’s voice preceded her as she appeared from nowhere, as usual.   
“For the last time, it’s Bering-Wells!” Myka hissed.  
Mrs. Frederick was a bit surprised by Myka’s tone, but didn’t show it. Her face remained calm as Myka stalked towards her, demanding, “Why did you take Helena and Lauren? Where are they and when are they coming back?”   
“Agent Wells-Bering was taken by mistake. She is unharmed; as is the child, and she’ll be back shortly.” A brief smile flitted around the ageless woman’s mouth as she added, “She has been warned not to write any more stories.”

Myka froze, her eyes glittering with anger as she whispered, “What do you mean?”  
Raising an eyebrow at Myka’s tone, Mrs. Frederick explained, “Agent Wells-Bering wanted to publish a children’s story that could expose all of us.”  
“What?” Shaking her head in denial, Myka argued, “She would never do that! She knows better!”  
“I believe she thought no one would connect the story with her work.” The older woman sniffed delicately, adding, “It has been taken care of.”  
“Wait a minute; Lauren has a new book coming out soon!” Glaring at the warehouse guardian, Pete demanded, “Is that why you took her?”  
“It is the reason why she needed to be dealt with, yes.” Irene Frederick’s tone was droll as she advised, “The information she gave in her books was quite precise in relation to our activities here, and that information cannot be allowed to become public knowledge. For your next girlfriend, agent Lattimer, we’d prefer it if you’d be more discrete... Unless she is your One, of course.”

Pete looked at her, the shock of her statement playing out on his face. “What do you mean for my next girlfriend? I already have a girlfriend, why would I be thinking about the next one?”  
“Miss Carter is currently being relocated and you’ll never see her again.” Her face became closed as she added, “I suggest you forget about her and move on with your life.”  
Everyone was shocked, but not as much as Pete. He advanced on the older woman without realizing it, clenching his fists as he growled, “What? You can’t be serious?”  
Mrs Frederic was dead serious. “Do I look like I’m joking, agent Lattimer?”  
“Listen, and listen closely.” Pete’s eyes narrowed to dark flints as he quietly said, “I love this woman and I don’t want to live without her. I’ll talk to her about the book; and I promise it won’t happen again, but I won’t let you destroy what we have before I have a chance to explain to her.”  
Mrs Frederic studied him for several seconds before asking, “Are you saying she’s your One?”

“I don’t know yet… And I won’t ever know if you take her away from me now.” Pete’s voice dropped to a deadly growl as he added, “I’ll quit and I’ll go after her if I have to, but you won’t separate us that easily. You can’t keep interfering in our personal lives. We are still American citizens. We are free to love who we want and you have nothing to say about that.”  
Mrs. Frederick’s tone became equally as angry as she replied, “I do if this person is a threat to the warehouse.”  
“Over a book?” Throwing his hands up in the air, he yelled, “Come on! We’ve faced worse enemies than that!”  
“I know that agent Lattimer.” Irene’s tone became that of a chastising parent as she asked, “And what if our next enemy succeeds in destroying us because of the information given in the book?”  
Pete was getting impatient with the warehouse guardian. “There won’t be any books! And why does HG get a reprieve, but Lauren gets relocated?”  
“Because she’s a threat to us.” Raising her eyebrow, Irene stated, “The matter has been settled, I suggest you deal with it.”

Pete turned his head to stare at his boss for several seconds before taking out his credentials and his weapon; placing them silently on Artie’s desk. Shaking his head in disgust, he turned on his heel and left without saying a word. Myka watched him leave, and then slowly took out her own badge and guns, carefully setting them next to Pete’s. Steve didn’t hesitate to do the same, and Claudia led the way to the umbilicus. Artie silently watched them leave, and then looked at his boss, sadly stating, “You know, if I was younger and I had a life, I would follow them.”  
“Don’t be ridiculous Arthur.” The words were offered with a secret smile; one that terrified the seasoned agent, as she added, “They’ll all be back.”  
Shaking his head, Artie argued, “Not unless you allow Lauren to return to be with Pete.”  
The secret smile grew larger as the caretaker winked, offering, “Have a little faith in me Arthur.”

***

Back in the plane, Jane was quietly discussing the situation with Adwin Kosan. Glancing towards the closed door; behind which her son’s girlfriend was fuming, she demanded, “What are we going to do about her Adwin? She knows too much, but she doesn’t seem like a real threat to me.”  
Mr. Kosan raised a solemn eyebrow, countering, “Are you saying we should allow her to publish her book and expose us?”  
“Why not? We did it for Spielberg and Lucas in 1980 and that didn’t cause us any trouble; even gave us an excuse for plausible deniability.” Shrugging, Jane added, “She already knows Pete is not an IRS agent, so what’s the big deal about telling her the truth at this point?”  
Adwin looked at her suspiciously. “Are you sure you’re not letting your emotions cloud your judgement? She’s a threat Jane, she must be dealt with.”  
Jane opened her mouth to further argue the point, but froze when her phone started ringing. Sighing, she glanced at the caller ID, advising, “It’s Irene. Hello, Irene. Adwin and I were just… They did what?!? Yes… Yes… Alright, I will.”  
Jane hung up and turned to look at Adwin, simply saying, “We’re in trouble.”

***

Claudia and Steve had gone back to Leena’s, Myka had gone to her empty home and Pete had decided to go into town. He was furious. How dare his mother and Mrs. Frederick decide what was best for him? He loved Lauren and he was going after her… But first he had to find her. He stopped the car, took out his cell phone and called his mother. The phone rang for several minutes before he finally hung up. He sighed, tossed the phone on the passenger’s seat and drove to the Raccoon; walking inside the establishment with only one idea in mind.  
“What can I get you?”  
Glancing up at the bartender, he replied, “Scotch. On the rocks.”  
The barman put the ice cubes in the glass and covered them with the amber liquid. Pete stared at the glass. It would be so easy to forget everything; to erase all the memories and fill the hole in his heart with liquid courage. Pete put his hand on the glass. So easy; too easy. He took a coaster from the neat stack on the edge of the bar and wrote a number on it before handing it to the barman. 

Watching his patron’s troubled eyes as he seemed bewitched by the drink, the barkeep said, “Listen man, you’re cute and all, but you ain’t my type.”  
Pete didn’t take his eyes from the glass, ordering, “Call this number and tell the woman on the line that Pete is here. Now.”  
The barman didn’t ask any more questions and called the number. A few minutes later, Myka stormed into the bar in a rush. Panic slammed into her when she spotted him at the bar, and moving silently to stand beside him, she called, “Pete?”  
Pete hadn’t moved; still holding the glass in his hand, as he replied, “Hey Myka.”  
Myka moved closer, fear eating at her as she questioned, “Pete, what are you doing? You’re going to throw fifteen years down the drain?”  
“No! I am not! I am stronger than this!” Turning to meet his partner’s concerned gaze before looking back at the glass, he whispered, “Lauren would be pissed at me if I fell off the wagon because of her. And what would I tell the kid, huh? Sorry kiddo, but your old man isn’t tough enough to resist his inner demon? No. Not gonna happen.”  
Myka placed a gentle hand on Pete’s arm as he started to turn back to the bar, affirming, “Good! That’s good, Pete. Now look at me. Look at me and give me the glass.”

Pete slowly tore his gaze from the glass to look at his best friend. Myka looked concerned. She took the glass from his hand and drank it in one gulp. She took a twenty dollar bill from her pocket and put it on the counter before she helped Pete out of the bar. Once outside, Pete collapsed like a rag doll and Myka had to support him to lead him to her car. She helped him lay down on the back seat, feeling sorry for the broken man in front of her. He was shaken by silent sobs and Myka knew she couldn’t console him if she didn’t want to break down herself. As she slid behind the wheel, her phone rang. Sighing at the name on the Caller ID, she answered, “Yes Claudia?”  
The youngster was very excited on the other side of the line and Myka could almost see her bouncing up and down as she cried, “Myka! I’ve found them! I tracked them down! They’re on a plane and they’re heading straight for here.”

Frowning, Myka shook her head, inquiring, “Here?”  
“I think they’ll land at the warehouse.” The girl’s excitement bubbled through the line as she ordered, “You better go there fast! Steve and I are on our way!”  
Myka hung up and started her car, pulling out of the Racoon’s parking lot with a spin of gravel. She drove to the warehouse as fast as she could, arriving just in time to see the small plane land. Glancing over her shoulder, she yelled, “Pete! They’re back!”  
Rising up from the backseat like a demon from hell, Pete’s eyes sparkled with anger as he said, “I need to talk to my mom. I need to know where Lauren is and then I’ll go find her.”  
Myka stopped the car and they stepped out as the stairs unfolded and two unknown women got out, followed by Adwin Kosan who helped Helena down the stairs.

Spotting her wife, Myka screamed, “HELENA!”   
Myka ran to the plane and took her wife in her arms the second she put a foot on the ground. They hugged and kissed each other and Myka finally let go of the tears she’d been holding back. Pete looked at his friend with tears in his own eyes, happy that she had been reunited with the woman she loved. He would have to wait to get his reunion with Lauren, but he would have it… Of that, he had no doubt. He was so deep in his thoughts that he didn’t see his mother get off the plane. It wasn’t until Jane was standing in front of him that he realized she was there. 

Pasting a smile on her face, she called, “Peter?”  
As he looked up, Jane Lattimer was scared of the man in front of her for the first time in her life. It wasn’t her son, nor the Secret Service or Warehouse agent facing her. It was the deadly Marine and he was pissed. He menacingly crossed the few feet between them, his hand’s wrapping around her shoulders as he barked, “Where. Is. Lauren?”   
Jane tried to calm him down. “Now Peter, listen to me...”  
“WHERE?” he yelled.  
“I’m right here, Pete.”  
Pete felt all his anger leave his body at once as a surreal numbness took over. Slowly turning, he looked up the stairs and saw his blond angel coming down with a smile on her face. He ran toward her and hugged her strongly enough to knock the wind out of her. Laughing, she teased, “Pete! Air!”

“Sorry!” He released his grip and she captured his lips in a toe-curling kiss. When they finally stopped to breathe, Lauren looked at Pete with a smile on her face, whispering “Take me home cowboy, I have a lot to tell you.”  
Smiling at the other reunited couple, Helena looked at Myka, requesting, “Take me home, Myka. I want to be in your arms and never let go.”  
Nodding as she blinked back her tears, Myka replied, “Just give me a second and we’ll be on our way.”  
Myka placed a quick kiss on Helena’s lips and then walked up to Jane. Meeting the eyes of the woman she’d considered her mentor, she stated, “Jane, I love you like a second mother, you know that. But if you ever hurt my wife and child again; if you take them away from me for any reason, I’ll kill you myself and trust me they won’t ever find your body.”  
Myka left a stunned Jane and went back to Helena. They got into Myka’s car and left for their home.

***

Steve, Claudia, Pete and Lauren squeezed themselves into Steve’s Prius with Artie, while Jane rode with Mrs. Frederick, and Mister Kosan left in the plane with the two field agents. When they arrived at Leena’s, Pete wanted nothing more than go to his bedroom with Lauren and finally rest, but Jane insisted that she had to explain her actions. They all gathered in the living room, Pete never losing physical contact with Lauren.  
“About two months ago, we were informed that an editor in New York had gotten her hands on a very promising book that could be turned into a successful series. The story was about two CIA agents who were chasing down magical objects and then putting them in Area 51. It didn’t take us long to figure out who the writer was. We decided to wait to see what the editor would do and we sent an agent undercover to read it. When we learned that it was worse than we imagined, we decided to act.”

Pete was still very angry at his mother and his nostril’s flared as he inserted, “You decided to kidnap her and take her away from me.”  
“We decided to take her yes.” Nodding sadly, Jane explained, “The plan was to store her conscience on the Janus coin until you’ve moved on.”  
“Wow! I can’t believe you didn’t just decide to bronze her!” His tone dripped with angry sarcasm as he snarled, “After all, she’s a huge menace for us!”  
Jane had had just about enough of her son. Narrowing her eyes, she snapped, “Peter! Do you mind letting me explain?”  
Pete rolled his eyes and shut up.

Continuing her tale, Jane said, “After some discussion with Miss Carter, I realized that she can keep a secret and she can be trusted. It took some convincing, but we finally agreed to tell Miss Carter the truth and to hire her.”  
Everyone in the room was shocked except for Lauren and Mrs. Frederick.  
Pete’s eyes became clouded with confusion as he demanded, “You what?”  
“I hired her.” Shrugging off his surprise, Jane added, “The Regents have accumulated quite a lot of archives and we need someone to digitalize it for safekeeping.”  
“I could have done that,” Claudia said, her tone hurt.

Jane smiled at the youngest member of their group, offering, “We are aware of your skills Claudia, but you’re needed at the warehouse.”  
“What about HG? She’s getting stir crazy not being able to go on missions and not handling artifacts,” asked Artie.  
“No, because it’s very tiring work and we need help for more than a few months.” Raising an eyebrow at the warehouse supervisor, she asked, “Besides, do you think she’ll want to do that with a newborn?”  
“Probably not,” Artie conceded.  
Meeting his mother’s eyes once more, Pete asked, “What about the book?”  
“Both Miss Carter and HG will be publishing their books anonymously. The books will be reviewed by the Regents and we will make the changes when necessary.” Offering a secret smile, Jane added, “We will use them for plausible deniability, should the need arise.”

Pete rose to his feet and helped Lauren get up. Winking at his lover, he said, “Great! Now if you’ll excuse us, we need some alone time.”  
He started to leave, but was stopped by Mrs. Frederick. “Not so fast agent Lattimer.”  
Pete turned around slowly and looked at his boss’s boss. Mrs. Frederick stared at him for several seconds before giving him back his badge and weapon. Her eyes locked with his as she quietly stated, “Next time you hand me those, you won’t get them back.”  
Pete nodded and thanked her. He then spotted his mother watching him with pleading eyes. Brushing a kiss on Lauren’s cheek, he murmured, “My love, do you mind going ahead without me? I’ll just be a minute.”

Lauren smiled at him and left as Pete took his mother aside; leading her to the downstairs bathroom so he could talk to her privately. Still fighting his anger, he said, “Listen to me mom, ‘cause I’m only gonna say this once. If you ever do that again; to me, Myka, Helena, Steve, Claudia or Artie or anyone working at the warehouse, if you ever come between us and those we love, I will not only quit the warehouse but I’ll quit being your son, do you hear me?”  
Jane nodded solemnly, defending, “I only did it for your protection, but I now know that it was a mistake. You love this woman very much and she loves you too. It is time I accept that my son is a grown man, about to become a father.”  
“Ahhh, you know about that, huh?” Blushing as his mother nodded, Pete confided, “I was going to tell you after the next ultrasound, honest… Seriously Mom… If you hurt that child, I swear to you there will be no place on Earth or beyond that you’ll be safe. Understood?”

Jane nodded again and Pete silently left the bathroom. He went to his bedroom where he hugged his girlfriend once again. He stretched out on the bed and pulled her to his side, with no space between them. As Lauren rubbed herself against him, Pete looked at her and murmured to her ear “How about you move in with me?”  
Lauren raised her head to look at him. “Are you sure? It’s not just because you’re afraid to lose me?”   
Pete shook his head. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while now and I’m sure. After 8 months together, you’re still here; you’ve faced my mother, and you didn’t run when you learned what I do and that I’ve been lying to you. I love you and I want to live with you.”   
Lauren kissed his lips softly and then with a smile, murmured her answer. “Yes.”


	10. A Place Where Miracles Happen

It was a slow day at the warehouse. Pete and Steve were off investigating an artifact in Germany, Claudia and Helena were installing new software with Artie, and Lauren had taken Myka to Sioux Falls to see a specialist for her hands. Four months prior, Helena had been kidnapped and Myka had hit a punching bag with her bare hands when she had despaired of ever seeing her wife again. She had used an artifact to temporarily heal her injuries while she had gone after her wife, and as a result her injuries had worsened once she removed the talisman.

Artie had not been happy when he had found out what Myka had done, but it had been nothing compared to Helena's reaction. She had been furious that Myka had used an artifact; deliberately ignoring its consequences, and had compromised her health and her career. It had started the first fight between the two women since their wedding and they hadn't spoken to each other for a whole day. When Myka had come back from the hospital with both hands bandaged, Helena's anger had melted and she had taken charge of Myka's recovery. Myka had gladly let her, not liking when she and her wife were angry with each other. Lauren had helped too, driving Myka to Sioux Falls twice a week to see the orthopaedic specialist. Today was the last appointment.

At the warehouse, Helena slowly got up to go to the bathroom for the nth time. She hoped her son would arrive soon because she was getting really tired of having to go to the bathroom every five minutes now. She was waddling from the room when a Braxton-Hicks contraction hit her, stopping her in her tracks. She waited impatiently until it passed and then went to do her business. She was getting tired of those as well. She knew they were they body's way of preparing for childbirth, but enough was enough.  
She hoped everything was going well with Myka. She hadn't called yet to say if her hands were healed and Helena was starting to worry. According to her calculations, Myka should have called twelve minutes ago. Helena was giving her five more minutes before she was going to call her. She was distractedly drying her hands when she noticed a pool of water on the ground. She waddled back to the office and sat uncomfortably on her chair, calling, "Artie, I think there's a leak in the bathroom. We should call a plumber since I can't fix it right now."  
"What do you mean there's a leak?" Artie grumbled from where he had his head buried in his terminal.  
"There was a pool of water on the floor. There must be a burst pipe somewhere." Helena explained while absently massaging her swollen stomach.

Artie's bushy eyebrows drew together over his eyes as he frowned, arguing, "Pipes don't burst in the warehouse, HG; they can't!"  
Helena was getting impatient with the man. Glaring at his back, her hormones surged and she snarled, "Well how do you explain the puddle I found then?"  
"Maybe you hallucinated?" Artie tried.  
Helena growled in frustration as she rose awkwardly to her feet once more. Glancing her way again, her boss demanded, "Where are you going now?"  
"I'm going back to the bathroom." Pausing at the door with one hand resting on her mounded stomach, she added tersely, "And you are coming with me."  
"We don't have time to waste with trivial things!" Waving at the disarray behind him, he growled, "We have to finish installing that damn software of yours!"  
Helena didn't listen and went waddling back to the bathroom, cursing under her breath at the stupidity of all men. Artie looked at Claudia, silently raising his eyebrow. The younger woman shrugged, stating, "Don't look at me like that! I don't know why she's fussing like this."

"ARTIE!"

Grinning as the Brit's voice rang through the warehouse, Claudia teased, "I do believe the queen is summoning you. You'd better go before she decides to behead you."  
Artie sighed and rose resentfully to his feet. Marching down the hall like a petulant two year old, he entered the bathroom and froze when he found Helena covered in sweat and clutching her stomach.  
"The baby! He's coming!" Helena moaned.  
"What? But you're three weeks away from your due date!" Trying to stay calm, Artie glanced wildly around muttering, "Okay! Okay! We... we have to get you to the midwife now! CLAUDIA!"

"I...I don't think we're going to...ugh! M-make it to the midwife...aaaah!" Shaking as the latest contraction slammed through her like a freight train, Helena's panicked eyes met Artie's as she gasped, "He's coming now!"  
Artie started to panic as well. "Now? What do you mean now? You can't give birth here!"  
Helena was panting from the pain, her voice quivering as she replied, "I don't think... we have a choice... I can't... move... aaaah!"  
Helena's legs started to wobble and Artie lunged forward to catch her before she fell. He gently lowered her to the floor and placed himself behind her for support, bellowing, "CLAUDIA! GET IN HERE NOW!"

Claudia arrived several seconds later with a mop in her hands. "Hold your horses grumpy, I was just getting something to clean the floor and whoa!" Glancing from one to the other, the younger woman demanded, "What's going on?"  
Helena grabbed Artie's hand and squeezed it, unable to answer her friend as she was hit by a contraction.  
"Can't you see that the baby's coming?" snarled Artie. "I need you to call Vanessa on the Farnsworth, she'll help us."  
Claudia started to panic too. "Us? What do you mean, us? You want us to deliver a baby? Here? You're so out of your mind! We'll load her in the Camino and we'll go see the doc!"  
Losing his patience with the girl who was little more than a teenager, Artie growled, "Claudia! She can't be moved right now. The baby is really close to being here, so I need you to get Vanessa on the Farnsworth, now!"

"Alright! Alright! Calm your jets!" Claudia took out her Farnsworth and contacted Vanessa. She quickly explained the situation to the blonde doctor who tried to be reassuring.  
"Don't worry," stated the calm doctor with a smile, "I'll talk you through this..."  
The smiling image disappeared from the screen in a burst of static.  
"Oh don't you die on me!" Claudia screamed in despair, slapping the device with her hand. She started fumbling with the controls but the device was only giving static.  
"Claudia? What's the hold up?" Artie asked while Helena was hit by another contraction.  
"Uh... small technical issue here..." Claudia's face paled as she explained, "The Farnsworth's dead."  
"What?" Shaking his head at her words, Artie mopped Helena's brow with a washcloth as he argued, "That's impossible, it's fail proof!"

Biting back the angry words that nearly jumped from her mouth, Claudia countered, "I know that Artie, but I can't get it to work!"  
"Well, don't stay there, go get mine!" Glancing at his watch to time Helena's contractions, he added, "And bring back the medical kit!"  
Claudia left the room running, calling behind her, "On it!"

Watching Claudia slide out of the room with a shake of his head, Artie shifted to make himself more comfortable on the cold floor. He kept Helena's hand in his and held on to her; wincing as she nearly crushed his hand and let out a cry when another contraction hit.  
"Bloody hell! It hurts so much more than last time!" Tears filled the Brits voice as she cried, "Myka! Where's Myka? Make it stop!"  
"I'm sorry Helena, but you're stuck with us." Offering the agent a weak smile, Artie whispered, "We'll get through this I promise."  
Claudia came back with the medical kit, handing it to Artie, who glanced at her now empty hands, demanding, "Where's the Farnsworth?"  
"Yours isn't working either and neither are the cell phones." Shrugging, Claudia explained, "I did a quick scan before I came back… There's a huge electrical storm over us right now, so we're on our own."

Artie tried to remain calm. "Alright. I need you to go check the manifest for any artifacts that could help us."  
"NO!" Helena was almost in panic mode. "No artifacts! I forbid you!"  
Artie paled again, confiding, "But I don't know what to do!"  
"I think I do," Claudia said sheepishly.  
Artie was surprised. Glancing at his youngest agent, he demanded, "You do?"  
Claudia shrugged, blushing as she dug the toe of her sneaker against the floor, muttering, "Well, I've watched a few TV shows where it happens just like this, so I did a bit of research."

Helena was hit by another contraction and squeezed Artie's hands again. Noticing the action, Claudia asked, "How long has it been since the last one?"  
Artie was lost. After glancing at his watch the first time, he'd forgotten to time the intervals. Shaking his head, he responded, "I don't know! Two minutes maybe?"  
"One minute," panted Helena. "I did some research too."  
Claudia sprung into action. "Okay, it means we don't have much time. We need towels or sheets, something to keep the baby warm."  
"Ummm, ummm… Ok." Taking a deep breath, Artie pointed down the hall, ordering, "Go to my room. Leena brought me clean sheets yesterday and I think there are some towels as well."  
Claudia jumped on her feet. "Okay! While I'm gone, try to make her as comfortable as possible and get her to breathe."

Claudia left and Artie waited until after the next contraction had passed to move. He dragged Helena further into the bathroom and sat against the wall, propping Helena between his legs, her back to his chest.  
"Here comes another one!" Helena yelled.  
"Hang in there," he soothed. "It's going to be over soon!"

Helena slowly relaxed as the contraction eased, and Artie gently pulled back the hair covering her face. Claudia came back with several sheets and towels, plastic bags, a pair of scissors, a big bowl, an electric kettle, a flashlight, a pillow for Artie's back and a dry washcloth. She gave the washcloth to Artie, who tossed the soaked one into the corner and wiped Helena's face with the new one. Claudia filled the kettle with water and plugged it in. Then she placed the pillow behind Artie and made sure he was as comfortable as possible. She took a sheet and draped it over Helena's chest and belly then she delicately took off the older woman's pants and underwear which she tossed into the corner with the used washcloth. During a contraction, she took the scissors and cut long strips of fabric from one sheet.  
"What are you doing?" Artie inquired as he studied her actions.  
"It's to tie the umbilical cord after the delivery." Offering him one of her classic grins, Claudia added, "It was either that or my shoe laces, and I think this is closer to being sterile."

Grinning for the first time, Artie nodded, "Good call."  
As soon as the contraction was over, Claudia put a towel on the floor between Helena's legs. Then she took off her jacket and washed her hands and forearms and dried them off. She took the flashlight and knelt between Helena's bent legs, explaining, "Okay, HG, I'm going to see how far along you are, okay?"  
"I want to push!" Helena screamed.  
"Not yet!" Looking up, Claudia waited until the older woman met her eyes, calmly stating, "I need to know if you're fully dilated first. This is very important, so just hold on okay?"  
Nodding, Helena gasped, "Please hurry!"

Claudia took a deep breath and looked, taking a deep breath as she got a closer look at childbirth than she'd ever intended. Peering over Helena's bent knees, she advised, "I see the baby's hair! Next contraction I want you to push, HG!"  
As soon as the words were out of Claudia's mouth, a contraction hit and Helena started pushing.  
"That's good HG, you're doing great!" Claudia encouraged her.  
Helena was drenched in sweat and quickly tiring. For the next few minutes, she pushed, while Artie and Claudia were cheering her on. Claudia looked again, and then ordered, "I think this is it! I want you to push with all you got HG!"

Helena screamed and push with all her might, nearly crushing Artie's hands as she heard Claudia say, "I see the head! One more push and you're done!"  
Helena pushed harder than she ever pushed before and expulsed the baby with a scream of agony. Claudia carefully raised the infant and immediately wrapped the screaming newborn in a towel. Her voice held an edge of wonder usually reserved for her computers as she blinked back tears, exclaiming, "I got him! Oh my God! I got him! He's fine!"  
She quickly cleaned his mouth and nose, and then gave him to Helena who was crying with joy. Flashbacks of the first meeting she had with her daughter so long ago came to her mind and she started crying harder. Claudia took care of the umbilical cord and then Helena placed the baby under the sheet and slipped her breast from the confines of her maternity bra; presenting the nipple to the crying infant, who latched on and started sucking. Helena stared at her son with adoration. He was perfect; absolutely perfect.   
Curiously, he looked at lot like her and Christina; for which she was glad, but she thought she could see some of his father in the shape of his eyes.

Once the placenta was out, the baby had finished eating and had burped, Claudia helped Helena slowly get to her feet, and then she did the same with Artie; who was still amazed by what he had witnessed. Together they helped Helena walk to Artie's bedroom. Claudia had made her a skirt with a sheet so she wouldn't be more embarrassed in front of Artie than she already was. Helena lay down on the bed, still holding her son. Claudia wrapped them in blankets then she sat at the foot of the bed and fell back on the mattress, spent. Artie sat in his chair, exhausted as well and incredibly proud. A few minutes later, a giggle erupted from Claudia.  
"I can't believe that I delivered a baby!"

Helena started giggling too, soon followed by Artie's deep chuckle. Helena sobered up quickly when she realized that Myka and Pete had missed everything. They both would be greatly disappointed.  
Rising a little, Helena bit back a wince as she asked, "Claudia, darling, would you try to reach Myka, please? I need to know she's alright and when she'll be back."  
Rising with a groan, Claudia replied, "Sure thing, I'll be right back."  
Claudia left the room and Artie took her place on the bed. Patting Helena on the lower leg, he offered, "I think congratulations are in order."  
Tears sprang to her eyes at the rare words from the gruff man that had fought her return to the warehouse, and blinking them away, Helena sniffled, "Thank you, Artie. For everything."  
Artie smiled again, responding, "You're welcome, but just promise me one thing? No, two."

Nodding carefully, as she never knew what promises to the man might entail, Helena stated, "I'm listening."  
Winking, Artie simply stated, "Next time, you give birth in a hospital."  
Helena chuckled and returned the wink. "Next time Myka will carry the baby, but I promise we'll do our best not to repeat this scenario again. And the second thing?"  
"Don't name him Arthur just to please me or to thank me." Clearing his throat, he quietly added, "Give him a name that means something to both you and Myka, a name that shows him how much he means to you... A name he can be proud of."  
Nodding, Helena glanced down at her son, answering, "I'll let Myka decide."

Claudia came back with her Farnsworth, her cell phone and a bag which she gave Helena. Helena opened it and smiled when she saw the onesie with "Future Mac User" embroidered on it, an orange and black stripped sleeper with Tiger and "Born to bounce" written on it, as well as the matching hat, and a baby blanket with a star design.  
"I wanted to gift wrap it tonight but I guess I won't have to now," Claudia said.  
Smiling again, Helena said, "That's very sweet of you Claudia, thank you."  
"You're welcome." Holding up another old towel, Claudia gave it a wave, stating, "We just have to MacGyver a diaper for the little guy and he'll be ready to meet his mom."  
Hope flared inside of Helena, and shifting, she demanded, "Did you talk to Myka?"  
"Haven't tried yet." Indicating the baby with a nod of her head, Claudia offered, "Figured it was more important to have Pete Jr. dressed first."

Artie looked at Helena, horrified. "You can't be serious!"  
Helena chuckled. "I don't know yet, I need to talk to Myka about it. And I won't dress him now, Claudia; I'd like to have skin to skin contact with him first, so Artie… Do you mind giving me a little privacy?"  
Artie stood up as though he'd been stabbed with a hot poker, took the Farnsworth and the cell phone from Claudia's hands and shuffled towards the door, replying, "No problem, do your thing. I'll… I'll try to contact Myka and Vanessa." Pausing at the door, he offered his youngest charge a smile, ordering, "Claudia, stay with her and rest. You did a good job today kiddo."  
Preening under his rare praise, Claudia called, "Don't tell Myka about the baby!"  
"Don't worry, I'll let it be a surprise when she arrives." With those words, he disappeared back into the warehouse, leaving the two women alone.

Once Artie was gone, Claudia helped Helena to remove her top and bra and then placed the sleeping baby against Helena's chest before covering them both with the stars blanket. Helena studied her miracle and smiled when she smelled apples. Her eyes slowly drifted shut, and within minutes she was asleep. Claudia took Artie's camera and took several pictures of the duo.

Three hours later, Myka and Lauren finally arrived at the warehouse, drenched to their bones. Their car had gotten a flat tire and they had to wait until the lightning stopped to change it. Myka had been a little worried that she hadn't been able to join Helena on the phone, but they had heard on the radio that a relay tower had fallen so the cell phone coverage wasn't working properly and she had supposed the severe lightning were affecting the Farnsworth as well. They had hurried to the warehouse, knowing Helena would be worried sick about Myka.  
"... and then he dropped some sauce on the Farnsworth's screen and licked it!" Myka told Lauren as they exited the umbilicus.  
"Oh course he did!" Lauren laughed.

Closing the door behind her, Myka stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Artie. Something was wrong she could feel it. Shaking her head, she demanded, "Artie? What's going on? Where's Helena? Artie, where's my wife?"  
Artie tried to calm her down. "She's fine. She's in my room, she's sleeping."  
"Is something wrong?" Panic and fear flooded her at his words; Helena wasn't much on naps. Her hands trembled as she reached out to him, begging, "Please, tell me!"  
Biting back a grin, he gruffly replied, "I think you better see for yourself."

Myka didn't say anything more and ran to Artie's bedroom, calling for Helena. Claudia heard her and stepped into the hall to intercept her before she barged in. Holding her hand, palm out, to the other woman, Claudia growled, "Chillax, Myka, you're going to wake her!"  
Myka pushed Claudia away from the door and entered. When she saw her wife asleep with their baby on her chest, she felt a powerful emotional wave wash over her. Feeling the tears falling down her cheeks, she approached the bed slowly, her hand lifting to cover her silent sob. They were so beautiful that her heart ached. They were her family. She was a mother.

As if she felt Myka's presence, Helena opened her eyes and smiled when she saw her wife. "Hello mama."  
Myka smiled through her tears, her voice cracking as she replied; "Hello mummy. I'm so, so sorry I missed it!"  
"It wasn't your fault." Trailing her finger over the top of the baby's head, Helena added, "Our little man was in such a hurry that he wouldn't even let me see the midwife."  
"You gave birth here?" Myka's eyes widened, her tone screeching, as she demanded, "Alone?"  
Helena smiled reassuringly at Myka. "I wasn't alone, I had my friends with me; our family. And I have to say that Claudia makes a wonderful midwife."

Myka blushed, confiding, "She and I took some classes with Ms. Burns to be prepared just in case."  
Helena's smile grew. "Well, I'm glad you did. It became quite handy."  
Myka smiled, timidly asking, "May I hold him?"  
Nodding, Helena replied, "Of course you can, he's your son too."  
Myka took off her jacket and shirt before she lay next to Helena, who placed the baby on her bared chest and covered them with the blanket. She curled herself against her wife and looked at their son.  
"He's perfect," Myka whispered. "I have a son. We have a son."  
"He looks just like his big sister." Tracing the contours of his face, Helena lifted her eyes to meet Myka's, questioning, "What should we call him?"  
Smiling brightly, Myka gently kissed the top of her new son's head, whispering, "I think I have an idea."

In Germany, Pete was in the hotel bathroom, practicing a very important speech in front of the mirror.  
"...and I love you and I want you to be mine forever... No... and I want to be yours forever... No... and I want us to be together forever. Will you marry me?"  
As Pete was practicing his speech, he put one knee on the ground, proposing to an imaginary Lauren. Steve entered the bathroom at the precise moment Pete was making his demand.  
"I hope you're not serious because you know I don't see you this way," the young agent teased.  
Pete jumped back to his feet, snarling, "Very funny! I'm practicing for when we get back. I found the perfect ring yesterday and I'm not waiting a minute after we get back to propose."  
Steve smiled at his partner. "Good for you man, Lauren is a great woman. I have Myka and Helena on the Farnsworth for you."

Brightening, Pete took the device from Steve. Winking at the ladies on the other end of the device, he said, "Hey girls! What's up?"  
"Oh nothing much," Myka replied. "We wanted you to meet someone."  
Myka shifted the Farnsworth to show Helena and the baby. Her voice held a teary edge as she offered, "Pete, meet Oliver Claude Arthur Peter Wells-Bering, your son."  
Pete was shocked. His mouth opened and shut several times before he exclaimed, "I'm a dad? I'm a dad! I am a father! Oh my God, I missed the birth of my first child! What kind of father am I?"  
"Pete! That's okay, I missed it too!" Winking at him over the long distance line, Myka teased, "We'll be there for the next one, okay? Let's not fuss over this. When are you coming home?"  
"Tomorrow... no scratch that I'm leaving now!" Glancing wildly around, he forced himself to stop, take a deep breath and turn his attention back to the Farnsworth to way, "I'll see you soon!"  
"Pete, wait!" Afraid he would disconnect, Myka yelled, "Lauren wants to talk to you too!"

Pete waited impatiently while Myka gave the Farnsworth to Lauren. His beloved's bright smile filled the small screen and she said, "Hey daddy! I just want to tell you that we're expecting twins!"  
Steve jerked to attention, barely catching Pete before he crashed to the floor. So much for a quiet day!


	11. Hide and Seek

The snow was slowly falling on Univille, covering the city with a fresh layer of white powder. Leena was folding the laundry after having spent the last few hours playing in the snow and sledding with Oliver. The little boy was now two and he had a lot of energy. They had spent two hours going up a hill and then going down on a sled; Oliver laughing hysterically each time. His parents had gone to see Dr Calder in Atlanta for Myka’s insemination. Pete had gone to do his part before joining his wife and twin daughters, who were visiting Lauren’s mother in New York. Helena and Myka were taking a few days off to give the procedure a chance to work and to relax. Artie had decided to accompany them to see Vanessa, while Claudia and Steve had volunteered to take care of Oliver with Leena. Both agents were crazy about the little boy and he loved his auntie Claudia and his uncle Steve very much.

Leena was placing the towels in the bathroom cabinet when the phone rang. Figuring it was probably Helena calling to check on Oliver, Leena left the bathroom in a hurry and ran downstairs to answer.  
Lifting the phone to her ear, she cheerfully offered, “Leena’s Bed and Breakfast, this is Leena speaking.”  
The Brits’ crisp tone filled the line as the other woman replied, “Good afternoon Leena, this is Helena.”  
The innkeeper smiled at the formalness the older woman hadn’t lost even after all of her years at the warehouse. Leaning against the wall, Leena returned, “Hi Helena, how are you? How’s Myka?”  
“I am well, thank you. Myka is resting with her feet up,” the Brit answered, taking her wife’s feet in her hands and placing them on the pile of pillows she’d already made for that purpose.   
“Honey, it’s not necessary that I do that,” Leena heard Myka say.  
“Yes it is,” argued Helena. “That’s how I got pregnant with Oliver, so keep your feet up until I say otherwise.”

Leena had to bite back a chuckle to keep it from escaping her lips as Helena refocused her attention on the call, saying, “Pardon me Leena, I got distracted by a very beautiful, but stubborn woman. How’s Oliver?”  
“I just put him down for his afternoon nap.” Rubbing the ache in her lower back from going up and down the hill, Leena added, “We played in the snow this morning and I’m afraid I exhausted him so much that he fell asleep during lunch.”  
“Oh, poor little man!” Helena’s laugh filtered over the line as she added, “He takes after his mama; she always falls asleep after being exhausted by physical activities.”

This time Leena couldn’t stop the laugh and she could hear Myka laughing as well. Half way across the country, Helena looked at her wife with desire in her eyes and almost forgot the phone until Leena inquired, “Do you want me to wake him so you could talk to him?”   
“Hum? Oh! No, that won’t be necessary…” Winking at the woman behind her on the bed, Helena murmured,”I’ll just call back in an hour to talk to him.”  
Myka raised an eyebrow as she got to her feet and hugged her wife from behind. She put her mouth next to her ear and whispered, “I think an orgasm is much more efficient at stimulating conception than keeping my feet up will ever be.” She nibbled on Helena’s ear and put her hands on her breasts, her thumbs playing with the nipples. Helena closed her eyes and let out a moan.

Feeling distinctly uncomfortable with the direction the other conversation was going, Leena called, “Helena?”  
Leena’s voice sounded very far away, and blinking several times, Helena managed to concentrate for a few seconds, answering, “Yes Leena, better make that at least two hours, ok? Bye!”  
The call was disconnected and Leena hung up with a laugh. Myka and Helena had always had a hard time keeping their hands to themselves. Leena went back upstairs to Myka’s old room to check on Oliver. She felt the blood rush away from her face when she saw the empty bed. Turning in a circle, she called, “Oliver?” 

The room remained silent as no answer came from the little boy in question. Leena went to the bathroom, thinking that maybe he’d had to potty, but felt her heart sink when she found that the bathroom was empty. Trying to remain calm, Leena went back to Myka’s room and took another look around. Maybe he had rolled between the bed and the wall while asleep?   
Crossing to the bed, she found it was completely empty and Oliver wasn't between the bed and the wall. Leena looked under the bed, in the closest and everywhere she could think a two year old could hide. Refusing to let her fear take over, Leena started looking methodically for the little boy. She slowly searched the second floor and the more time that went by without a trace of the little boy, the more worried she grew. Oliver loved to play hide and seek, but he was always very easy to find because he giggled so much. This time there wasn’t so much as a peep, even when she called his name. Feeling a nasty fear growing inside her, Leena went down the stairs and grabbed the phone to call Claudia.

“Hey Leena what’s up?” The younger woman’s perky voice filled the line even as the sound of her fingers flying over the keyboard sounded in the background.  
Forcing a smile into her own voice, Leena replied, “Hey Claudia! Could you come here with Steve, Trailer and the durational spectrometer?”  
The young techie sensed the concern in her friend’s voice and her tone was grave as she demanded, “Why? What’s going on?”  
“I need your help,” Leena confessed. “I can’t find Oliver.”  
Claudia’s voice went up an octave as she demanded, “What do you mean, you can’t find Oliver? He’s missing?”  
“I mean, I put him down for his nap an hour ago and now he’s not in his room and I can’t find him.” Biting back a sob, Leena whispered, “That’s why I need the durational spectrometer… So I can see where he went.”

Claudia was annoyed, but fought to keep her tone calm as she explained, “Problem is… HG took it apart before she left and she hasn’t put it back together yet.”  
Panic flaring inside of her, Leena cried, “Can’t you do it?”  
Nodding even though her friend couldn’t see her, Claudia answered, “I could if I knew what modifications she did; but since I don’t, I’d rather not risk it.”  
Leena grew impatient; time was of the essence and they were wasting too much of it. “Well at least come here with Steve and Trailer. We need to find him before Helena calls back.”  
Claudia jumped to her feet, scrambling for her car keys as she stated, “Keep looking for him Leena, we’re on our way.”  
Twenty minutes later, Claudia and Steve jumped out of the Prius, running inside the B&B, followed by Trailer. Claudia didn’t waste any time, ordering, “I need something of Oliver’s for Trailer.”

Leena gave her Oliver’s pyjamas from the night before. Claudia placed the clothes under Trailer’s nose, watching as the dog took a deep breath before he ran to the kitchen; stopping in front of Oliver’s chair with a soft woof. Leena followed him, while Claudia and Steve took off their winter clothes.  
Irritated that the dog had led her to an empty piece of furniture, Leena ordered, “Keep looking, Trailer! Where’s Oliver? Find him! Come on boy.”  
Trailer kept sniffing around and finally went up the stairs, followed by the humans. He went to the bathroom, then to Pete’s old room, followed by Myka’s room, before he came back into the hall and started going around in circles. Then, he stopped and lay on the floor. Leena was puzzled. Glancing at her companions, she asked, “Why did he do that?”  
Claudia shared a look with Steve, questioning, “Do you think he’s confused because of last night?”  
Shrugging, Steve replied, “I don’t know. It’s possible.”  
Leena was confused. “Why what happened last night?”

Claudia blushed a little. “Well... you know... I gave him is bath and...”  
Steve came to her rescue, explaining, “While I went to get Oliver’s pyjamas, Claudia was running the water and Oliver decided to undress on his own and started running around in his birthday suit. And you know the silly dance Pete has been teaching him? Not as funny when he’s naked, trust me.”  
Leena couldn’t help but laugh at the image, quickly sobering when the phone rang. Checking her watch, she realized it was too early for Helena to be calling back but it was entirely possible. Claudia paled and glanced at the device, softly questioning, “Is that HG calling back?”  
“I’m not sure.” Offering the other woman a weak smile, Leena added, “When we spoke, Myka was about to have her way with her, so I guess it could’ve been fast…”  
Claudia made a disgusted face. “Ew Leena! TMI! It’s like hearing about your parents’ sex life!”

The phone kept ringing. Frowning at the annoying sound, Leena asked, “What should I do?”   
“Let the machine pick it up,” Steve suggested. “When she calls back, tell her you were busy with Oliver and couldn’t answer the phone, which is true.”  
Leena nodded and they all waited for the phone to stop ringing. When they heard Pete’s voice, they released a collective sigh as they listened.  
“Hey guys it’s me! I just wanted to let you know I made it to New York and I’m with Lauren and the twins. Myka and HG are at the Westin in Atlanta if you need to reach them. Oliver, be a good boy for aunt Leena okay? Mama and mummy will be back in two days and daddy in three days. Love you, Little Man!”  
Claudia was the first to regain her senses. “Okay, we’re off the hook for now, but we have to find the munchkin or they will kill us. What should we do?”  
“Do you think someone could have taken him? Or maybe he went to his house?” Leena asked.  
“I think he’s smart enough not to go out in the snow,” Steve answered with a shake of his head.

Leena’s eyes grew wide as she whispered, “But you do think he could have been kidnapped?”  
“I think it would take someone quite ballsy to come here and snatch him right under your nose. But I hope I’m right about this one, ‘cause if someone took him, this person is dead and so are we. I knew I should have implanted a GPS on the kid when he was born!” Claudia said, exasperation making her blurt things best not mentioned.  
Steve squatted and began to pet Trailer. “Maybe we should give him another chance. Do we have something else he could smell?”  
Leena went to Myka’s room and brought back a blanket with a star design. The cloth was worn and showed signs of affection. Handing it to Steve, the innkeeper said, “If that doesn’t work, nothing will.”  
Trailer smelled the blanket and went straight to the bathroom, where he sat in front of the cabinet where the towels were stored, barking happily.

Leena sighed when she saw where Trailer had stopped. “I thought dogs were supposed to be good at tracking? Especially him, since he can track you guys in the warehouse!”   
She bent over and scratched Trailer’s head. “I should have known that by giving you the freshly washed blanket, that you would track it to the freshly washed towels. If anyone would know about laundry, it would be me, huh?”  
Claudia and Steve were lost.   
“What are talking about Leena?” Claudia asked.  
“The detergent Helena created has virtually no smell and the consequence is that the clothes don’t retain smells either. Do you remember the bad reaction Oliver had with regular detergent when he was just a baby?”

Claudia nodded, wincing. Oliver had been covered in red spots for days and HG had been frantic about it. They had finally figured out that it was the detergent and had switched brands, but it had started all over again. Myka kept trying new detergents while HG kept trying to find a solution, until she locked herself in her home laboratory for a week; barely sleeping and eating until she found the answer she was looking for. Myka had not been happy with Helena’s absence, but in the end she was glad Oliver was spot-free.   
“So Trailer is not helping?” Claudia inquired.  
“Well, I don’t think he is helping very much,” Leena replied.  
“Did you at least look in the cabinet?” Steve asked with a raised eyebrow.  
“Of course I did!” Leena said and opened the cabinet’s door to show Steve that Oliver wasn’t in there, jumping as a bundle on the floor moved. Placing her hand over her heart, Leena demanded, “Dickens! What are you doing there?”

The feline gave a low meow as he opened an eye, looked at her, rose into an arch and stretched before curling into a circle and going back to sleep.  
“What, you mean you never saw him do that?” Claudia asked with a laugh. When Leena shook her head, she pointed at the sleeping cat, explaining. “You know how Pete always leaves cabinet doors open all over the house? Well, when he lived here I found Dickens caught in here so many times it was almost routine to look for him when he didn’t come when called to be fed. He loves towels; especially warm ones. Just leave him alone and when he wants out, he’ll let you know.”  
Claudia closed the cabinet’s door as Leena shook her head, sighed and said, “Well that explains the claw marks inside my cabinet doors, but this is ridiculous! Those towels were clean and now I’ll have to wash them again… Steve, he likes you best… get him out, would ya?”

Leena opened the door as she spoke, but the cat was gone. Steve drew his head back in puzzlement, demanding, “Wait, where did he go?”  
“Let it go Jinxy, we have bigger problems,” Claudia said, patting her friend on the back. “Now, if I were a two year old, where would I hide?” She thought for a moment. “The laundry chute! Maybe he fell in and hurt himself!”  
Claudia ran to the chute and looked down the hole. There were no signs of Oliver, and Leena was growing more distressed by the minute. Meeting Steve and Claudia’s eyes, she suggested, “Maybe we should call Helena and Myka. If Helena can rebuild the durational spectrometer we’ll know what happened.”  
Claudia’s eyes grew bigger as she shook her head in an emphatic NO. Grabbing Leena’s shoulder, she hissed, “What? You have a death wish or something? They’ll kill us; then they’ll use an artifact to bring us back to life so they can kill us again! After what happened two years ago I can’t really blame them. In all my life, I’ve never been as afraid of Myka as I was then… Besides, calling them won’t help us find Oliver and the durational spectrometer can only work for five hours so it’ll be pointless. We have to retrace your steps starting when you last saw Oliver.”

Leena sighed. “I already did that Claudia, and I didn’t find him. I really think he was abducted and we should get all the help we can get and... Steve? What are you doing?”  
Steve didn’t answer, but kept taking the towels out of the cabinet. Something was wrong with it; cats didn’t just disappear in cabinets! He half entered the cabinet and started tapping around inside, smiling when the back panel sounded hollow. He touched the panel but nothing happened. Then he touched the bottom, in front of the panel; and feeling an indentation in the wood, pushed it. Steve was very surprise to see the back panel slide to the side and a large space behind it. He entered the cabinet completely under the bemused eyes of Claudia and Leena and crawled several feet inside the secret space, taking note of the narrow passages that shot off in different directions.  
Taking out his cell phone to have some light, he started looking around. Steve saw a bundle of what looked like towels about a foot from him; gasping when the bundle suddenly sprouted two glowing eyes. He held his phone closer to the bundle and looked again, relaxing onto his heels as he exclaimed, “Dickens!”

The cat closed his eyes and snuggled against the hairy bundle. Narrowing his eyes, Steve told himself that towels didn’t have hair and it could only mean one thing. Slowly rising to his knees, he crawled forward and lifted the corner of the towel to reveal a sleeping toddler. Joy filled him and he yelled, “Oliver!”   
The cry awoke the little boy, who peered up at his uncle in confusion. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and then popped his thumb in his mouth before mumbling, "Hi!"  
"Hi yourself, little man." Relief flooded Steve, and taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, he leaned back down the passageway, calling, "I found him! He's here at the end of the passageway... Gimme a minute to make sure he's okay and then I'll bring him out."  
Oliver giggled, patting Steve on the cheek. "I's fine Uncle Stee"  
"That's good, bud, but I still need to check you out." Doing a quick survey of the toddler, and finding no injuries, he then held out his hand, questioning, "What say we go join Auntie Claud and Aunt Leena?"  
“Kay." Rolling onto his knees, Oliver eyed the passage behind Steve and frowned, shaking his head. Tapping the wall behind him, the boy emphatically stated, "Here!"

"No Ollie, it's this way." Frowning as the child pulled away from him, Steve coaxed, "This is this the way out... See the tiny hall behind me?"  
"No!" Glaring at the man for failing to understand him, Oliver smacked the wall once again, repeating, "Here!"  
"Okay... Let's see what's so special about this wall of yours." Crawling closer, Steve studied the wall, understanding filling him as he found the hinges along the top. Shifting his attention to the bottom, he found the small latch and gave it a tug, chuckling as the newly-found trapdoor lifted upwards. Glancing at his smiling companion, Steve stated, "Smart boy... This must be how you got in here.”

Giggling, Oliver crawled towards the opening, shoving a small pile of Leena's newly washed and folded towels out of the way as he ordered, "We go!"  
Sighing, Steve followed the youngster from the hiding place, muttering, "A man of few words you may be, but you definitely have your mother's ability for giving orders."  
Slipping through the panel and into the deserted hall, Steve allowed the door to snap closed behind him and then rose with a groan. Scooping the toddler up with one arm, he headed towards where he'd left the women, grinning as he called, "Look what I found."  
Whirling around, Claudia and Leena let out shrieks of happiness as they pulled their charge into their arms, showering him with kisses. Finally breaking away from the celebration, Claudia glanced at Steve, demanding, "Where the hell did you come from, dude? We've been sitting here waiting for you to come back down the passageway."  
"We decided to take Master Oliver's shortcut." Indicating the hall behind him with a jerk of his head, Steve added, "I do believe I know what happened to the little scoundrel."  
"Shortcut?" Frowning as she moved towards the hall, Leena muttered, "Hidden doors, secret passages and shortcuts... What else don't I know about my house?"  
"This is a biggie, Leena." Pausing before the panel, Steve dropped to one knee and pressed on the back wall. Shifting to the side as it gave a slight click, he lifted the trap door, adding, "There seems to be a whole series of passages back there… Perfect hidey-hole for a two year old."

"How did I not know this was here?" Dropping to her knees, Leena studied the space behind the wall, hissing, "This is NOT on the house's blueprints! Artie and I have been over those a hundred times when we've had to make renovations... How could we have missed this?"  
"Mrs. Frederick." Laughing as they said the name in unison, Steve and Claudia shared a look, before the other woman added, "You could've been staring straight at it and she'd make you forget... Woman's got some scary juju going on."  
Perking up at the older woman’s name, Oliver asked, “Is ‘Rene here?”   
“NO! No, she’s not here.” Claudia responded.  
“Ollie, why were you in there? Did you have a nightmare?” Leena asked.

The little boy shook his head.  
“Towel is warm!” Oliver said while wrapping himself in the towel he had with him.  
“You’re definitely spending too much time with Dickens. Next time I’ll know you’ll be going crazy chasing around a red laser dot,” Claudia said with a laugh.  
Leena knelt to be at the boy’s height. “Now Oliver, you have to promise me not to do this again, okay? You really scared us and we thought we had lost you. Do you understand?”  
“Yes Aunt Leena, I’s sowwy,” Oliver said sheepishly.   
Offering the boy a stern look, Leena asked, “Now, do you know what a secret is, Oliver?”

The toddler nodded. “Yes, is like when daddy eats all the cookies and we can’t say to Lauren, ‘cause she’ll be mad at daddy.”  
Leena bit back a chuckle. “Yes, exactly like that. We can’t tell mummy, mama and daddy that we lost you today, okay?”  
Confusion filled the boy’s eyes. “Why?”  
Sighing, Leena explained, “Because they will be mad at us and they will never ask me to take care of you ever again. Would you like that?”  
“No!” Fear filled the child’s face, and throwing his arms around her neck, he cried, “I luv you Aunt Leena!”  
Smiling at his enthusiasm, Leena pulled back so she could meet his eyes, prompting, “I love you too, Oliver… So promise me you won’t say anything.”  
Nodding happily, Oliver repeated, “I promise.”  
“Good boy!” Rising with a groan, she took his head and questioned, “Now how about we go bake some cookies?”

***

When Helena called back, Oliver told her about the cookies he had just made and didn’t mention his escapade. Leena, Claudia and Steve were relieved that their secret was safe.  
Two days later, Helena and Myka returned home and Oliver ran to welcome them with open arms. Giggling as the two women cooed over him, he exclaimed, “Mummy! Mama! Guess what?”  
Leena felt dread wash over her, her head dropping wearily as the toddler happily added, “Aunt Leena losted me!”


	12. Shower of love

Myka Bering was proud to be an independent woman. She liked to do things on her own and seldom requested help, but today she had had to come to terms with her independence, or lack thereof. She had heard many stories about pregnancy and pregnant women, but she had never thought she would be one of them or that they would apply to her. Then Helena had come into her life and changed everything. She was now the proud mother of Oliver, who never ceased to amaze her. At almost three, he had tons of energy and ideas that most of the time got him into trouble. And with Pete, Helena and Claudia around, Myka often had the feeling she was the only responsible parent.  
For the moment, she was the stuck parent. Her parents were visiting and quite frankly they were starting to drive her crazy. Jeannie had insisted on coming to South Dakota early to give her a hand with the last preparations for the baby’s arrival, despite Myka’s protestations. Myka had insisted that they were welcome to visit and help once the baby was born; just like they had done when Oliver had been born, but both Jeannie and Warren wouldn’t hear any of it. 

“It’s your first child,” Jeannie had said. “You’ll see how handy having someone to take care of you can be.”   
“But I already have Helena, Leena, Claudia and Lauren to help me, mom!” Myka had returned, stomping her foot. “And it’s not my first child, Oliver is.”   
Jeannie had patted her daughter’s hand, stating, “It’s not the same, honey. This time you’re giving birth to your son. The bond between you and he will be much stronger. And you’ll be much more tired, trust me.” 

Helena had been no help since she totally agreed with Jeannie and was delighted to have her in-laws around to help take care of Myka and Oliver while she was working. Myka was now two weeks past her due date and everyone and everything was driving her insane.

It had started early in the morning when her mother had awakened her at seven sharp by starting the vacuum cleaner in the hallway next to Myka’s room. Myka hadn’t sleep well due to Helena’s absence from their bed because she was on a mission with Pete and Steve. That, added to the fact she didn’t remember the last time she had been comfortable in her own body, the constant shifting of position and the short night, Myka was cranky and it wasn’t even 8AM. Throughout the day, she tried to remain as calm as possible since Vanessa had told her to be careful of her blood pressure, but it had been hard with her mother hovering and her father insisting she name the baby Warren Jr. 

Jeannie had spent most of her day smothering Myka over what to eat and when to eat it, harassing her to rest and giving her tons of advice on different ways to induced labor like hot sauce, balsamic vinegar, swimming, dancing and driving on a bumpy road. But when Jeannie had suggested once again that the baby’s name should be Charles, despite having been told previously that it was out of the question, Myka lost her temper and ran off to the bathroom, the only place she knew she would be on her own for a few minutes.   
She sat on the toilet with the lid down and relaxed her swollen feet for a while, enjoying the silence. When she felt her temper was back down to a polite level, she put her feet on the ground and tried to get up. When her buttocks refused to leave the seat they were on, Myka knew she was in trouble. She tried to get momentum to get up but her huge belly was preventing her from doing that. There was nothing she could hold onto to give herself a push up. She thought for a moment then started balancing from right to left. If she could fall on her back, she would be able to get up and go on with her day. She had gained a good momentum when she suddenly stopped and sighed. With her luck, she would fall on her stomach and injure the baby, or worse. Myka tried to get up again but nothing worked. She wished the intercom Helena had insisted on installing when she had had the house built wasn’t so far out of reach. Sighing Myka decided to do the one thing she knew she would regret but she had no other choice since she really had to use the toilet, now! 

Taking a deep breath, Myka let out a powerful “MOM!” that brought Jeannie to the bathroom within seconds.  
Tapping on the door, the older woman called, “Myka! Are you alright? Is the baby coming? Open the door!”   
“I’m okay, mom, calm down!” Sighing, Myka hung her head and growled, “I’m stuck on the toilet; can you come in and help me up?”  
Jeannie entered the room and took pity on her daughter. “My poor baby, what did you do?”  
Myka stopped herself from rolling her eyes. “I sat down, mom. Can you please help me up? I have to use the toilet and the baby is putting so much pressure on my bladder I won’t be able to hold it much longer.”

For once Jeannie didn’t comment and took Myka’s hands in hers to help her get up.  
Forcing a smile onto her face, Myka sweetened her tone, offering, “Thank you! Now can you wait outside please? I might need your help again once I’m done.”  
Jeannie frowned as she studied her daughter. “Are you sure you’re okay?”  
Giving in to the urge, Myka rolled her eyes this time, replying, “Yes mom, I’ll be fine.”  
Jeannie brightened, suggesting, “Why don’t I just turn around? It’s nothing I haven’t seen before and I’ll be closer to help.”  
Myka bit her bottom lip, barely refraining from yelling at her mother. “Please wait for me outside… Please!” she begged.  
Jeannie sighed heavily. “Okay, okay, I’m leaving.”

As soon as Jeannie was out and the door was closed, Myka went to do her business. This time, she managed to get up on her own and almost let out a cry of victory. She washed her hands, then joined her mother in the hallway.  
The hovering began again as the other woman demanded, “Are you okay honey?”  
Myka yawned. “Yeah! I think I’ll go take a nap before Helena gets back, I’m exhausted.”  
Her mother’s smile returned as she happily replied, “You go ahead and rest honey; we’ll take care of everything.”  
Myka turned in the direction of her bedroom, murmuring, “Okay. Helena should be back at four and Lauren will bring Oliver back around three. Make sure he takes his nap and has his snack. Oh… and don’t let me sleep past five, otherwise I won’t get any sleep tonight.”  
Nodding complacently, Jeannie offered, “Of course, honey. Go get some rest.”

Myka waddled to her room, grabbing the huge blanket Leena had knitted and a pair of headphones along with her iPod, before sitting on the bed. She wrapped herself in the blanket, swung her legs onto the bed and slowly lowered herself to the mattress. When the pain in her lower back subsided, she placed the headphones on her stomach and started the music. Helena had created a special list of music to play for the baby in-utero and Myka had been very skeptical until her wife had placed the headphones on her stomach for the first time and the kicking had immediately stopped. Since then, she had listened to her special list almost everyday with the baby. Closing her eyes, she fell asleep within minutes, listening to the soothing whale sounds.

When she woke up, a pleasant smell of baking was floating in the air. Looking at the clock, Myka saw she had been sleeping for two hours already. Thinking Leena had come to bake something for Oliver, she took off the blanket, put on her fuzzy slippers and waddled downstairs. When she entered the kitchen, she was struck speechless to see her mom wearing an apron as she took something from the oven, placed it on the counter to cool down, before then going back to mixing the content of a big bowl. The counters and the dining table were covered in blue frosted cupcakes, cookies, brownies, and every pastry imaginable. Her mother never baked. She cooked, yes; but she hated baking.  
“What’s going on here?” Myka demanded.

Her mom smiled sweetly at her. “Oh hi, sweetheart! Did you have a good nap? I hope I didn’t wake you up.”  
“What is going on?” Myka repeated.  
Shrugging as she continued stirring the contents of the bowl, Jeannie replied, “Oh, I just felt like baking some of your favorite desserts sweetheart. Helena said...”  
Myka’s eyes narrowed. “Helena said, did she? So she’s back then?” Glancing around the kitchen, Myka yelled, “Helena! Where are you, woman?”  
“She put Oliver down for his nap and said she had some work to do.” Adding her mixture to a prepared pan, her mother added, “Then I got this urge to bake... Sit down Myka; I’m sure Helena will be back soon.”  
“Oh, I know she will.” Stomping through the house screaming her wife's name, Myka finally found the woman in question sitting on the side porch, a large wooden board in her hands. Crossing her arms over her mounded stomach, Myka growled, "What the hell did you do to my mom?"

Helena smiled and replied, "Just giving her something to do. And look at all the lovely sweets you now have darling."   
"I don't want sweets, I want MY mother back!" Narrowing her eyes on the item her wife held, Myka demanded, “What is that?”  
Smiling, Helena replied, “Julia Child’s pastry board. Apparently, it gives people the urge to bake sweets.”  
"HELENA!" Staring at her wife in shock, Myka hissed, "I can't believe that you used an ARTIFACT on my MOTHER!"  
"Oh, pshaw...” Shrugging, Helena added, “It's harmless darling."  
Helena rose from the seat and tucked the board under her arm, adding, “I’ll get Claudia to return it to the warehouse for me. Now you need to go take a shower, you’re quite rumpled darling.”  
"I don't WANT a shower!" Tears welled up in her eyes, and with an angry swipe, Myka hissed, "I swear, if we have any more kids, YOU'RE carrying them!"  
"That's fine darling... Now come along." Taking Myka by the hand, Helena led her into the front parlor and stopping, whispered, "Surprise."

Myka stared at all the friends that had gathered to give her a baby shower, and bursting into tears, threw her arms around Helena and whispered, "I can't believe you did this!"

Handing the pastry board off to Claudia, Helena brushed her lips over Myka's, replying, "Darling, I'd give you the world if I could."

Sighing happily as she turned to greet her smiling friends, Myka rubbed her hand over her stomach and replied, "I don't need the world. Just you, our son and the new baby. You three are my world."

Helena started to speak, but was interrupted as Pete barged in, declaring, "I smell cookies!"  
Lauren was not far behind him and took the plate of cookies away from him. Her eyes narrowed as she hissed, “Pete I said no! You volunteered to do the serving, not to eat the cookies! Besides, you have to lay off the cookies and you know that.”  
Pete whined, “I know it’s bad for my cholesterol and my tri-whatevers, yada yada yada. But please may I have just one?  
A slight smile flitted around Lauren’s lips as she gave a nod, acquiescing, “Alright. But after that you’re on your best behavior, understood?”  
“Yes mamma.” Winking at his wife, he brushed a kiss over her lips, murmuring, “Thank you mamma.”  
With an evil grin, Pete took a pile of cookies and put them all in his mouth at once before Lauren could stop him. Speaking around the mouthful, he sputtered, “It’s only one bite honey!”

Rolling her eyes at her partners antics, Myka moved further into the room; first hugging Josie, before she moved on to Claudia and Leena. Jane and Mrs Frederick insisted they were here as granny and honorary grandmother, not as Myka’s bosses, and Vanessa was there as honorary aunt. Myka kept the best for last. She hadn’t seen her childhood best friend for almost ten years, but she never had lost contact. She slowly sat on the couch next to the wheelchair her friend was sitting in. Both women didn’t speak for a few seconds; then as if a dam had been broken, they started speaking at the same time.  
“It’s so good to see you!”  
“Oh my god I can’t believe how huge you got! This baby will be a giant!”  
Myka started laughing. “I think so. And not to mention I’m two weeks pass my due date. Which, by the way is a bit late for a baby shower, honey… Don’t you think?”  
“Because it wasn’t supposed to be a baby shower, per se, but a nice little party after the birth to cheer you up.” Waving at the gathered guests, Helena breezily added, “And because everyone was only available at the same time today, so I had no other choice.”  
“Well I’m very glad you did and I’m very glad to see all of you.” Smiling brightly at the people that had gathered to celebrate her coming child, Myka rubbed her stomach, tearily adding, “Thank you for coming.”

Before anyone could say anything, the doorbell rang and Helena jumped to her feet to answer. She came back in the room with a sheepish look on her face.  
Raising an eyebrow at her wife, Myka quietly questioned, “Helena? What’s going on?”  
Helena tried her best to be reassuring. “Our last guest has arrived. I just hope you won’t be mad at me.”  
Myka frowned but didn’t comment.  
Taking a deep breath and nodding, Helena ordered, “Alright, I want you to close your eyes and don’t cheat!”  
Myka closed her eyes and smiled.  
“I hope it’s not a male stripper! Or a female one either!” she giggled. When she heard several low gasps almost at the same time, Myka grew concerned. Still not opening her eyes, she demanded, “Helena? What did you do? Who’s there?”  
“Hey Minnie.”

That voice. Myka hadn’t heard it in ten years. She felt her heart start to beat faster and ice filled her stomach. The sensation was gone in a second, replaced with pure joy when she opened her eyes. The woman in front of her was smiling, but looked a bit uncertain- although not as much as Helena. Myka tried to get up but her stomach stopped her once again. This time there were several hands to help her up and she crossed the room quickly to hug her latest guest as much a she could with her belly. Jeannie arrived in the room at the same moment with a tray of freshly baked cookies.  
“Here’s the latest batch, girls! I put some lemon in these and...”  
The tray fell to the floor, sending the cookies all around. Jeannie was speechless at the sight in front of her eyes. Holding her hand to her mouth, she exclaimed, “Oh my God! Tracy?”  
The woman raised her head from Myka’s neck and smiled at her.  
Jeannie ran up and hugged the two women tightly. The trio was crying and talking and hugging for a while until Lauren yelled “PETE! Put the cookies down or I swear to God, you’ll sleep on the couch for the next month!”

Pete looked at his wife and defiantly put a cookie in his mouth, munching as he stated, “You’re never going to last without me for a month. Hey, who’s that with Myka and her mom?”  
Smacking her husband’s wandering hand as he absently reached for another cookie, Lauren replied, “It’s Tracy and don’t change the subject!”  
Pete’s eyes became as big as saucers. “Tracy? You mean the Tracy? Tracy Berrington, Tracy? Wow, she’s even hotter in person!”  
Lauren narrowed her eyes, glaring at her husband, but refrained from commenting. Now was neither the time nor the place to have a fight, but he definitely had it coming to him later. Instead, she focused her attention back on the weeping trio, ordering, “Alright, enough with the tears, it’s time for fun and games!”

For the next two hours, the women played games and laughed while eating the sweets Jeannie had baked. Pete was doing the serving and paying close attention to Tracy, making sure her glass of wine was always full and that she had everything she needed. As the time passed, Myka became more and more quiet- and more and more uncomfortable. She was very happy everyone was here but she couldn’t seem to get into a comfortable position on the couch. They were playing charades and Myka was trying to make Helena guess Buffy the Vampire Slayer when a huge pain hit her in the stomach. Clutching her belly, she tried to move but the pain was excruciating.  
“Junior!” Helena tried. “No? What to expect when you’re expecting? Myka? Try something else, darling.”  
“Uh... HG?” Claudia tried.  
Shaking her head, Helena waved the younger woman away, stating, “No Claudia, I don’t want your help. I am quite capable of deciphering this enigma on my own.”  
Claudia jumped to her feet, looking around the room for Vanessa. Shaking her head at the Brit’s sudden air headedness, the young woman growled, “Can’t you see the baby’s coming? Where’s Vanessa?”

Helena was confused. “Can’t you see the baby’s coming? I’ve never heard of that movie, how am I supposed to guess it?”  
Myka’s water broke at that precise moment and Helena finally got it. Her dark eyes widened as she cried, “The baby’s coming! Where’s Vanessa? We need to get Myka to the midwife!”  
Vanessa came back into the room as Helena slid to Myka’s side and took her hand in hers. Smiling calmly, the doctor said, “The midwife is on her way and your bedroom is ready for the delivery. Oh your water broke, that’s good! I’d like to examine you to see how far along you are.”  
Myka nodded, unable to speak over the pain, stress and fear. Pete and Helena escorted her to her bedroom and Vanessa followed them. Lauren took charge of the guests and the cleaning.

Upstairs, Helena helped Myka change while Pete waited outside the room. Once he was allowed in the room, he found Myka slowly getting off the bed with Helena’s help.  
Offering a nervous smile, he questioned, “Hey, how are you doing?”  
“I’m fine.” Gritting her teeth, Myka added, “I just have a knife through my gut every five minutes or so, but other than that, I’m perfectly fine.”  
Vanessa took off her gloves and threw them in the garbage can. “She’s about 2 centimetres along so it’s going to be a while before the baby’s here… But walking around the room may speed things up. Pete… You might want to go be with Lauren and the twins and rest. I’ll call you when the time comes.”  
“Yeah, I don’t think so.” Shaking his head at the suggestion, Pete argued, “The twins are with their sitter and Lauren understands that I need to be here. I missed the birth of my first child, I won’t miss any more. I’m staying.”

Myka wobbled across the floor to him but was hit by another contraction before she could speak. Pete held on to her hand until it passed, wincing and shaking the reddened digits when his friend finally released his hand.  
Myka’s eyes were rimmed with pain as she said, “Thanks Pete. I know you want to be here, but it’s going to be hours before the baby’s here. Go… be with your wife. You weren’t very nice to her in the last few hours, you know.”  
Pete was confused. “What are you talking about?”  
“Come on, Pete, I saw you with Tracy.” Raising an eyebrow, Myka ordered, “You need to go see Lauren and apologize to her. Then take a nap with her in the guest room because I’m pretty sure we’re all going to stay up all night.”

Pete thought for a moment about his attitude over the last few hours and silently cursed. Nodding he answered, “Oh. You’re right, I have to talk to her otherwise I’m spending the week in the doghouse. But I’ll be right back ok? I don’t want to miss any of it.”  
Myka smiled reassuringly at him. “I know Pete. You won’t miss it. And me neither. It’s not like I can anyw...”  
Myka ground her teeth as the pain of another contraction slammed through her. Pete held her hand through it once more, encouraging her to breathe slowly. When it subsided, he smiled at her. Myka smiled back at him, confiding, “God this hurts! I thought I knew pain but this... this is something else, entirely. I’ll be okay for now, go with Lauren and say hello to the twins, because they’ll miss their daddy. The second it gets serious we’ll send someone to get you, I promise.”  
Pete hesitated for a few seconds, then kissed his friend on the cheek and left the room.

Sixteen hours later, Pete was pacing the room as Myka was pushing with Helena sitting behind her, supporting her back, holding her hands and encouraging her.  
“You’re doing great Myka!” the midwife told her. Vanessa was keeping an eye on things just in case, but she was content to let Ms. Burns do her job.  
“Here comes another one!” Myka yelled.  
“Probably one of the last few. Just push with all you have!” the midwife said.  
Crushing Helena’s hands with hers, Myka did just that and a few minutes later the screams of the newborn filled the room along with the relieved sighs of its mothers. Ms Burns cleaned the baby and Pete cut the cord with Helena. The midwife wrapped the baby in a blanket and presented it to its mother, who was weeping with joy.  
Myka took the delicate package into her arms and held it close to her. Her mother had been right after all. This was so much more powerful than when Oliver had been born. She felt submerged by all the love she felt for the little being in her arms. Taking a teary breath, she whispered, “Hi little one! I’m your mamma and this is your mummy and your daddy!”

“Do you have a name yet?” Pete asked softly.  
Both Helena and Myka nodded.  
“We chose it a few weeks ago and we think you’ll approve,” Helena answered with a smile.  
“How about we let the grandparents in?” Myka suggested. “I think they have waited patiently enough.  
Pete got to his feet and went to the door, which he opened to find a group of people who were wearing very anxious expressions. Their words tumbled together as they blurted their questions.  
“How’s Myka?”  
“Is everything alright?”  
“Can we see the baby yet?”  
Pete smiled at them. “Would the grandparents come forward please? We would like to introduce you to the latest addition to our family. Your turn will be right after,” he assured Claudia before she could even ask.

Jeannie, Warren, Jane and Mrs Frederick entered the room right away, but Artie hesitated, drawing a chuckle from Pete. Wrapping his arm around the older man’s shoulders, he teased, “Come on, grandpa, you too!”  
Resisting, Artie growled, “Don’t call me grandpa! I’m too young to be a grandpa!”  
“Get in there, grumpy!” Claudia hissed, giving him a shove.  
In the room, the group quietly approached the bed where Helena was curled into Myka’s side and cooing at the baby. Myka saw her parents and lifted the baby so they could better see. Smiling brightly, she introduced, “Mom, dad, I’d like you to meet Emma Emily Jane Bering-Wells, your granddaughter.”

Jeannie was shocked. “A girl? You told me it was a boy!”  
Myka grinned. “I never said it was a boy. You assumed it was, because of the way I was carrying it and I never corrected you. Obviously you were wrong. Aren’t you happy?”  
Jeannie smiled, tears in her eyes as she answered, “Sweetheart, you’ve made me the happiest grandmother in the world!”


	13. Stimulation

Myka put the mittens on her daughter’s hands and smiled at her. “There! I think you’re ready. Now we have to take care of your brother. Oliver? Oliver! Where are you?”  
When no answer came from the little boy, Myka sighed. She had a busy morning ahead of her and she didn’t have time to deal with her son’s antics. Putting her hands on her hips, she yelled, “Oliver! Come here, right now!”  
The only answer Myka received was a little whine from Emma. Myka took her daughter in her arms, soothing, “You’re probably already warm aren’t you? I’m sorry baby; we’ll go outside as soon as I can get your brother ready. Let’s go look for him okay? He’s probably MacGyvering something with mummy.”  
Emma smiled and let out a “Ma-ma!” filled with love. Myka laughed and began to look around for her wife and son, finally locating them in the bathroom adjacent to the master bedroom, with Helena helping Oliver to hammer a nail.  
“You have to be very careful not to hammer your fingers, sweetheart, or mama will be very mad at us.”

Myka wisely waited for Oliver to be done with the hammer before she spoke. “You got that right, Debbie Travis. Now if you and Bob the Builder are done hammering around, Emma is getting warm and we have to leave or we’re going to be late. Oliver, would you please go downstairs and put on your snowsuit? I’ll come to help you in just a moment; I need to talk to mummy.”  
Oliver reluctantly put the hammer in the tool box before hugging Helena and running downstairs. Helena rose to her feet and crossed the room to join her wife and daughter. She placed a kiss on Emma’s cheek and one on Myka’s lips, suggesting, “Why don’t you leave him with me? I’ll drop him of at Pete and Lauren’s this afternoon.

Shaking her head, Myka replied, “He has a doctor’s appointment and so does the little missy. And you have a bathroom to put back together. I swear I don’t understand why you’re doing it yourself, Helena. We could have hired someone.”  
Helena smiled at her. “We could have but you and I both know how much I love doing these kinds of things. And trust me… You’ll love our new bathroom.”  
Myka smiled. “Yeah I know how much you love tinkering with everything. But don’t forget to get ready for tonight, though. ‘Cause I have plans for you, woman. Big plans. Huge plans!”  
Helena winked at her. “Don’t worry I’ll be ready and I have plans for you too.”

Myka looked at her wife with desire in her eyes and wished she didn’t have to leave. She couldn’t wait for this day to be over and finally have her wicked way with her! A cry from downstairs shook her out of her day dreaming as Oliver called, “Mama! I’s ready!”  
Shaking her head at the timing of youngsters, she returned, “Coming!”  
She turned around and went down to the first floor while Helena watched her; waving goodbye to Emma. Indeed, Myka would do a lot of coming tonight if Helena had her way.

In the hallway, Oliver was waiting patiently for his second mom to arrive. He had put his snowsuit on all by himself, but the boots were so hard to put on! Frowning down at the offensive items, he smiled as Myka arrived quickly and put Emma on the floor. Smiling down at her son, she praised, “Wow! You’re getting good at this, Oli! Let’s put your boots on and we’re good to go!”  
Myka quickly helped her son to get ready, then finally put her own coat on; grabbing her purse and her keys, before lifting Emma into her arms and leading the way to the car. Once the kids were installed in their respective car seats, she sat behind the wheel and took the road for the doctor’s office.  
They had only gone a few miles when Oliver called, “Mama?”  
Smiling, Myka glanced at him in the rear-view mirror, replying, “Yes?”

Helena’s frown appeared on the child’s face as he demanded, “Why can’t I stay wif mummy? I want’s to build a wall.”  
Myka’s eyebrow raised at the child’s question, and shaking her head, she answered, “Because you have to see the doctor. He’s going to see how tall you are, how much you weight and check if everything is okay with you. And he’ll do the same thing with your sister. And me too.”  
Oliver almost panicked when he heard the word ‘doctor’. “No poke!”  
Myka bit back another smile. “Don’t worry, you’re not getting a vaccine today. Your sister is.”  
Oliver let out an audible sigh of relief before stating, “I prefer Auntie ‘Nessa. I don’t like da doctor!”  
“I know munchkin, but Auntie Vanessa is very busy today, so we’re going to see Doctor Owens.” Glancing at him in the mirror again, she added, “And then if you’re nice at the doctor’s, we’ll go to Lily’s for lunch and then you’re going to stay with daddy for the weekend.”

Oliver pondered that for several seconds before saying, “Mama?”  
Biting back a sigh, Myka replied, “Yes munchkin?”  
Frowning again, Oliver asked, “Why are we going to stay wif daddy?”  
Holding back a nervous giggle, Myka answered, “Cause mummy and I are going to spend some mommy time together. We’re going to the spa and we’ll get massages and our hair done, and we’ll relax and look pretty when we get back.”  
Oliver smiled brightly. “You always pretty mama. And mommy too.”

Myka blinked back tears and had a huge smile on her face. It was for that kind of comment that she loved being a mom.   
The doctor appointment went well; both children were healthy and growing within the average rate. Emma cried when she got her vaccine, but Oliver managed to distract her and calm her down. Then it was Myka’s turn to get on the scale and the doctor frowned. Meeting her eyes, the doctor chided, “Myka, I thought I told you last time, you can’t keep losing weight like this. You’ve lost five pounds since I saw you two months ago. You need to eat more regularly.”  
Rolling her eyes, Myka defended, “I know and I’m trying to! But do you know what it’s like to have two kids under 5 and to work a full time job where you travel a lot? Believe me, I try to eat three meals a day but sometimes I have to skip... Hell, sometimes I’m lucky to grab a cup of tea on the run.”  
“I know you are.” The doctor made a notation in her chart before meeting her eyes again, adding, “I’m just saying that because from now on you’ll have to eat even more.”  
Myka wasn’t sure why the doctor said that. Then it clicked in her mind. Her face lit up as she demanded, “It worked?”

Nodding, Dr. Owens offered, “Congratulations! You’re about four weeks along. I trust you won’t skip a meal anytime soon?”  
Barely able to contain her happiness, Myka nodded, stating, “I promise, I won’t! Thank you!”  
Myka was ecstatic. She hadn’t been sure the insemination had worked because she had had trouble with her cycle lately, and she had taken pills to help stimulate her ovaries, so the news was more than welcome. The whole procedure had been a secret from her wife this time. She and Pete had stopped by Atlanta to see Vanessa when they had gone to look for an artifact in Florida. Myka had hoped it would work on the first try this time because she had had a hard time keeping the fact she was taking pills from Helena. She was looking forward to getting back home and telling Helena the wonderful news.

***

When Myka got home, she still had a little smile on her lips and couldn’t shake it off. She took off her boots and her coat with a sigh and went to look for her wife. She found the Brit still puttering in the bathroom, which was finally back to a more normal state. Helena was kneeling on the floor, trying to get some plaster out of a tiny pot with a big spatula. After a moment she threw the spatula away and used her fingers to spread the pink mixture. Why use a tool when your fingers can do the job? Myka wondered. And oh what those fingers could do! Just the thought of them made Myka weak in the knees and produced a familiar sensation in her lower body. And considering that Helena had been too tired to do anything but cuddle in the last few days because she was exhausted by the renovations, Myka welcomed the sensation and she knew she would need great restraint not to jump her wife before dinner. 

Once she was done, Helena turned to the opposite wall and started painting it a vibrant blue while she waited for the plaster to dry. Myka stayed in the doorframe for a moment, observing the woman who had stolen her heart so many years ago. She was wearing an old tank top that was so worn and loose that it revealed everything each time Helena bent forward. Myka didn’t mind at all because she enjoyed the view of Helena’s unbound and swaying breasts very much. She watched silently as Helena continued to spread the paint on the wall. She couldn’t help but look at her wife’s buttocks; very firm, round and tempting.  
Helena’s voice was full of amusement as she suddenly questioned, “Are you going to stand there and stare at my ass all day or are you going get your ass in here and help?  
Myka shook her head, teasing, “Such dirty words in such a pretty mouth. How about you go put paint on your face instead of on the wall?”

Helena stopped and looked at her wife, confused. “What do you mean, put paint on my face?”  
Myka winked, explaining, “I mean put on some make up. We’re going out.”  
Helena looked at her watch and raised an eyebrow. “It’s the middle of the afternoon. Surely you have time to help me finish this before taking me to dinner.”  
Shaking her head, Myka primly stated, “We have reservations.”  
“And?” The dark brow rose higher as she countered, “You can just call and say we’re going to be late. Besides, Josie won’t mind if we arrive an hour late or an hour early. So, why don’t you take a brush and help me? The sooner we’re finished the sooner we can leave.”  
Sighing, Myka took a brush, answering, “Fine, but you’ll need to pack an overnight bag and don’t blame me if we lose our reservation at the restaurant, because we’re not going to Lily’s.”

The wheels in Helena’s mind started to turn as she tried to figure out where Myka was taking her. She was so lost in her thoughts she didn’t notice the paint sprinkling her cleavage until she heard Myka giggle.   
Narrowing her eyes, Helena let out a very British “What?” that made Myka giggle even more.  
“I love your new freckles. Very smurfarific,” Myka said, pointing at Helena’s cleavage.  
Helena’s eyebrow rose again. “Smurfarific?”  
Shrugging innocently, Myka retorted, “What? It’s not like I said ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’!”  
Helena’s eyes almost bulged out of her head. “Did you touch an artifact that made you speak gibberish all of the sudden?”  
Rolling her eyes, Myka replied, “No I didn’t. Forget what I said.” Waving at her wife, she added, “You have paint on your chest.”  
Helena looked at her chest, then at her wife, at the brush in her hand and at her wife again. Without thinking, she shook the brush toward Myka, covering her with tiny drops of paint. Chuckling, he stated, “And so do you darling.”  
Myka was shocked. She took her own brush, covered it with paint and traced a line on Helena’s chest. Smirking, she teased, “There ya go, Smurfette. You know, you look pretty hot in blue.”

Helena winked at her. “Well I do feel hot and wet. And dirty now, too. Are you going to do something about it?”  
It was all the incentive Myka needed to act. She dropped her brush and grabbed Helena’s arm to bring her closer and crushed her lips on hers. The kiss was electric and filled with tension in desperate need of release. Helena relished the kiss and knew her plan had succeeded. She had voluntarily withdrawn all physical intimacy, except for little kisses and hugs, in the last few days in order to get Myka ready to be ripped. She loved when Myka became feral and possessive. It was hell for both of them to be a few days without touching each other, but in the end it was so worth it. Myka grabbed Helena’s buttocks and squeezed with both hands.  
“I want you,” Myka managed to say between two kisses.  
“Bedroom,” Helena gasped, knowing how much Myka preferred the traditional place to have sex.  
“I want you now,” Myka growled as she pushed Helena against the counter and took off the other woman’s tank top. Helena tried to take off Myka’s t-shirt, but Myka captured her wife’s hands in hers and looked at her lover in the eyes, whispering, “I’m in charge. You just sit back and enjoy.”

Helena nodded and Myka kissed her again, caressing the skin on her stomach, before lifting her hands to Helena’s back. Trailing her nails down between her shoulder blades to unhook her bra, which she tossed carelessly on the floor, she laughed as she elicited a shiver of awareness from her wife. Myka helped Helena sit on the counter and lean against the wall. She took Helena’s breasts in her hands and started playing with them, teasing the nipples with her thumbs. Helena moaned and shivered under the delicious sensation. Myka kept playing and kissing her toys for a while, before she undid Helena’s pants and shoved them down her legs with her panties in one swift movement. She smiled at the vision of the mermaid in front of her. Helena smiled back at her and pulled her legs apart just enough so Myka could see how ready she was.  
Myka placed herself next to her wife and traced two fingers over the moist opening. Helena slightly lifted her body and Myka invaded her inner sanctum with a powerful stroke that made Helena gasp for air. Myka started to move her fingers quickly, wanting to feel her wife come on her fingers. She wanted Helena to be completely powerless; to be overwhelmed with pleasure, and she knew just what to do to achieve her goal.

Myka took one of Helena’s nipples between her lips and started playing with her tongue while her thumb reached Helena’s bundle of nerves and started making a circular movement. Helena held Myka against her and nuzzled her neck while enjoying the sensations. Myka went faster and faster until Helena almost took a bite of her neck as she exploded into orgasm. Myka comforted her until the shaking subsided, then slid her fingers out of her wife and helped her off the counter and onto the floor, where Helena grabbed her by the t-shirt and pulled her on top of her. Helena kissed her passionately and once again tried to take Myka’s shirt off but she wouldn’t let her.  
Shaking her head, Myka said, “Uh uh! I’m not done with you yet. I told you I was in charge and right now, I want to eat you.”

Helena groaned at Myka’s words. She seldom said that kind of stuff, but Helena loved when she did and she acted like she was right now. Myka scooted herself between Helena’s bent legs and smelled her before she started kissing her inner thighs. Myka then began lapping at the juices running from Helena’s entrance, moaning at the exquisite taste. Once she had thoroughly cleaned her wife, Myka took the little bundle of nerves between her lips and started suckling gently on it. Helena yelped and gripped Myka’s hair. Myka played with her for a while before she suddenly plunged her tongue as far as she could into the moist entrance. She started an in and out movement while Helena moaned and tried to get a grip on something.

The Brit’s tone was shrill as she begged, “Darling... please! I need you! Oh God! Yes! Take me!”   
Myka released her and smiled. Helena rarely begged and Myka always felt proud when she achieved that. Leering down at her she inquired, “What do you need honey? My tongue? Or my fingers? Or maybe both?”  
Nodding frantically, Helena screamed, “Please!”

Myka stopped teasing and dipped three fingers in Helena’s juices, wetting them, before thrusting them deep within her. Helena cried and gasped for air. Myka found her G-spot with her middle finger and started massaging it while suckling on her clitoris again. It only took Helena a few minutes before her cries escaladed to a powerful “Myka!” when she came. Once again Myka continued playing gently with her while the pleasure subsided. Helena was limp and couldn’t form a single thought. Myka removed her fingers slowly; causing Helena to gasp as she dragged the wet digits over her swollen clit, and brought them to her mouth to lick them clean. Helena looked at her with half closed eyes and moaned. Her wife was so hot! She really wanted to take her now, to give back what she had received but she was unable to move for now. The pleasure had been so intense!

Myka laid down next to her on the floor and started nuzzling her neck and tracing lines on her breast with a light finger. When Helena was finally able to think coherently, she turned on her side to face her wife. She placed a hand on Myka’s cheek, slowly caressing the skin and tracing the very faint wrinkles forming in the corner of her eyes. Myka called them her laughing wrinkles. Helena called them her happiness wrinkles. Myka turned her head and kissed Helena’s palm.  
“Did you eat well?” Helena inquired with a raised eyebrow  
Myka had a huge smile on her face. “Even better, I ate Wells.”  
Helena smiled and rolled her eyes. Shifting on the floor with a grimace, she said, “I think I should have included heated floors with these last renovations. Ceramic is far too cold for this old body of mine.”

“Oh I’m sorry honey! I didn’t think about that.” Blushing furiously, Myka ducked her head, murmuring, “I just... just wanted you so badly. C’mon… We should get off the floor.”  
Myka started to get up but Helena stopped her by tugging on her arm. A smile shone from the Brits eyes as she countered, “Not yet! I didn’t mean anything, Darling. I’m just not used to being taken on the floor that’s all. Don’t be sorry, I really enjoyed it. I’m not sure I can even walk yet.”  
Myka’s face filled with a huge smile and she lay back against Helena, replying, “In that case, I am not sorry. How many times have you done the same thing to me without remorse?”  
Helena laughed. “I’ve lost count, Darling. Now… How about we take a bath? It would warm me up and make you relax. And after that we could go wherever you wanted to take me.”  
Nodding against her wife’s chest, Myka answered, “I really like that idea.”

Grinning, Helena kissed the top of Myka’s head and said, “Excellent! Do you mind going to our room and getting the bag in my sock drawer? There are a few things in there we could use.”  
Curiosity filled Myka’s eyes as she nodded, replying, “Sure. You’re going to be alright?”  
Helena smiled at her. “Of course, Darling! I may be old, but still not so old that I can’t get off the floor after you had your wicked way with me. Go, I’ll be fine.”  
Myka rose to her feet and left the room while Helena slowly sat, then used the countertop to pull herself onto shaky legs. Despite what she had just said, she felt old, but not because of what Myka had done to her. She walked slowly to the tub and turned on the hot water faucet. Once the tub was filled, she slowly lowered herself into the hot water.  
Moaning, she murmured, “Hummm that feels divine!”  
“What are we going to do with these exactly?” Myka asked, coming back in the bathroom, holding a pair of clamps.  
Helena had a wicked smile on her lips. “Join me and I’ll show you, Darling.”  
Myka put the clamps back in the bag which she placed next to the tub. Then she slowly took off her t-shirt and her jeans. Helena looked at her with a pleased smile. “I’m getting my own private show too? I’m so lucky today.”

Myka smiled back at her. “It’s the least I could do after abusing your body.”  
An evil smile crossed Helena’s lips as she replied, “Oh, Darling, you can abuse it anytime you want. Keep going though, it’s very entertaining.”  
Myka slowly took off her bra and started playing with her breasts, taunting Helena. Then she slowly caressed her stomach down to her crotch where she pressed one finger. Damn, it felt so good! She really needed release, and soon! Trailing her finger up to the band of her panties, she swept the material to her feet, stepped from the puddle of satin and entered the bathtub under Helena’s mesmerized eyes.  
Crooking her finger at the naked beauty, Helena ordered, “Come here, love, I will take care of you.”

Helena made Myka sit between her stretched legs, her back to her chest. She kissed her neck and grabbed her breasts, copying the movement Myka had done minutes before. Still kissing her neck, Helena played with Myka’s nipples, sending electric shocks arrowing down between Myka’s legs.  
Gasping, Myka begged, “Please, honey... No games... I need you... So bad... Please!”  
Helena wanted nothing more than to play with her wife for a while, bring her to the edge of pleasure before stopping everything and repeating those actions on and on until Myka was nearly crazy with desire. But she knew she had been a bit mean to deprive Myka from sex for the last few days, and she finally had her wife where she needed her, so she decided to indulge her, thrusting two fingers inside of her with one hand while she started playing with her bundle of nerves with the other hand. Myka let out a cry and came within seconds of contact, holding on Helena’s knees for support. Helena let go of her and undid Myka’s pony tail before starting to massage her scalp. Myka came back to her senses several minutes later and let out a well-satisfied sigh. “Feels... so good...”

Nuzzling Myka’s ear, Helena murmured, “I’m glad you like it. Are you ready for the next round?”  
Myka’s eyes widened, and turning slightly in the tub, she demanded, “There’s more?”  
“Of course, Darling.” Gently tracing her wife’s face, Helena then tucked a strand of dark hair behind the other woman’s ear, teasingly adding, “As I told you this morning, I have plans for you. And I want to show you my favorite improvement that I made to this room.”  
Frowning, Myka questioned, “Can’t the renovation tour wait until we get back from the spa?”  
“You’re taking me to the spa?” Helena’s face lit up like a Christmas tree as she clapped her hands together, exclaiming, “Oh Darling, you know how much I love being pampered!”  
“I do know how much you love it, that’s why I’m taking you.” Sighing, Myka confided, “But I wanted it to be a surprise! Damn you and your magic fingers for making me weak!”  
Helena smiled. “Oh Darling, surely you don’t mean that?”

Myka nodded, teasing, “I do.”   
Helena traced a long finger down Myka’s spine, making her shiver. “Let’s see if I can change your mind.”  
Helena once again took Myka’s breasts in her hands, always amazed at how beautiful they were. She played with them, lingering longer over the nipples and teasing the swollen crests with her nails. Then, she caressed Myka’s stomach, slowly making her way between her legs. She started to rub the little bundle of nerves and brought her wife to the edge of pleasure before letting go. Myka let out a frustrated groan as Helena lifted the bag from the side of the tub and took out the clamps before she placed them on Myka’s labia major. Then chuckling at her wife’s startled look, she took the hand-held sprayer she had installed earlier and turned it on. She submerged it and placed the jet on Myka’s clit with a wink. 

Myka screamed at the intense pleasure that pounded her clit relentlessly. Helena slid two fingers inside Myka’s channel and started a back and forth movement as the water pressure kept building, causing Myka to squeal with pleasure. Myka was unable to control the speed of the rising climax and lost control of her body, exploding into the biggest orgasm of her life as the darkness closed in on her. As Myka became limp in her arms, Helena turned off the sprayer and removed the clamps, discarding them on the floor. She kissed her wife’s neck, then took a sponge and gently started washing her.  
When Myka woke up, she could still feel her heartbeat pounding between her legs. Helena noticed the change in her breathing and caressed her cheek, softly questioning, “Are you back with me Darling?”

Swallowing against the dryness in her throat, Myka, gasped, “What... what did you do to me?”  
Helena giggled, “Oh! That’s an idea I found in a magazine. Did you not like it?”  
Myka turned around to look at her wife. “Like it? I can’t feel my feet! That was...”  
“Amazing? Breathtaking? Extraordinary? Marvellous?” Helena’s eyes darkened as she leaned forward to nip at Myka’s lips, demanding, “The best you’ve ever had, in all your life?”  
Nodding, Myka exclaimed “Yes! God, yes!”  
Helena offered her spouse a huge smile. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

Myka captured her lips and kissed her passionately. They spent the next hour washing each other and just enjoying themselves. At one point, Myka added bubble bath to the water and a full foam war was held with a lot of giggles. When everything calmed down, Myka scooted closer to her wife, pushing herself against Helena’s chest and took her hand in hers, kissing the delicate fingers.  
Nervousness fluttered in her stomach as she softly confided, “I have a surprise for you. I’m pregnant.”  
Helena was startled for a second, then she smiled brightly and returned, “That’s wonderful, Darling! Me too!”


	14. Doubts

Myka whirled around to face her wife. The shock was evident on her face as she demanded, “What do you mean, you too?”  
Helena tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, smiling as she replied, “I mean, I too am with child. I did a test that confirmed it last week. I wanted it to be a surprise.”  
Myka’s shock grew and shaking her head to clear it, she stated, “Well obviously you succeeded. How far along are you?”  
Placing her hand over her abdomen, Helena replied, “Six weeks.”  
Myka silently cursed. “I’m four weeks along. I can’t believe Vanessa didn’t say anything!”

Helena tried her best not to look guilty, but Myka noticed the blush on her wife’s cheeks right away. Narrowing her eyes, she growled, “Helena? What did you do?”  
The answer came a bit too fast to be credible. “Nothing!”  
Helena started playing with the foam, taking some in her hand and blowing on it softly to make it fly. Myka waited patiently for her wife to spill it out. The Brit wouldn’t meet Myka’s eyes as she explained, “We... we didn’t go to see Dr. Calder this time. We used a more... primitive technique.”  
Myka felt like the water had just turned to ice. All the good feelings she had been experiencing just minutes before were gone now; washed away with two simple words. Fighting to keep the hysterical tone out of her voice, she demanded, “What do you MEAN, you used a more 'primitive technique'?"  
"Exactly how it sounds, darling." Helena lifted one long leg out of the tub, running her hand over the smooth skin before finally meeting Myka's eyes and questioning, 'What did you think I meant?"

Myka met Helena's eyes and replied, "Exactly what the term implies- that you had sex with Pete in order to become pregnant."

Helena's eyes narrowed, "Good God, darling! Why ever would I do something like that? Do you really think that with two children and a wife as sexy as you at home, that I would have the energy to go chasing after a stupid man? Please!" Rolling her eyes at the idea, Helena smiled, adding, "I guess I should say that it was a primitive twist on our usual technique."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Confused, Myka rose from the tub, stepped out and wrapped her robe around her before turning to face her wife. "Maybe I've got pregnancy brain already, but you're not making a damn bit of sense."

"A turkey baster, Myka." Shrugging at the other woman's shocked look, Helena explained, "I went to see Pete and asked him if he would agree to have another child with me; that I wanted to surprise you. He talked about it with Lauren and they agreed. When the time came, Vanessa wasn’t available and I didn’t want to wait another month and didn’t know what to do. Then Pete suggested something he'd seen in a movie. We would use a turkey baster! Pete did his thing in one room and then Lauren brought me the cup in another room. I inseminated myself, alone. Completely alone, I swear to you.”

Myka took a deep breath and tried to calm down before she looked at Helena. The woman who had taken her heart looked at her with so much sincerity that Myka felt awful for overreacting. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Myka whispered, "Helena, I... I don't know what to say. I'm sorry doesn't cut it, but it's all I have. Can you ever forgive me for doubting you? I didn't mean to doubt you, but the thought of losing you... Please, Helena! Can you forgive me?"

Helena studied her wife, her emotions driving her to scream and rail at the other woman, but she couldn't just throw away their years together; couldn't destroy their family because of a misunderstanding. Blinking back tears, she whispered, "I wish that I could say that I've forgiven you, Myka. It hurts that you would think so little of me, of our marriage. You accused me of cheating on you; of breaking the vows I made to love and honor you, and it hurts to see how quickly you jumped to conclusions. It's as if... as if you were expecting me to cheat on you... Why Myka? Why would I do that?"

Shaking her head, Helena cried, "You don't trust me."

Myka was stunned. “Of course I trust you!” Crossing the distance between them, Myka cupped Helena's face in her hands, whispering, "You are my LIFE, Helena!"

Helena shook her head. “No, you don’t… Not really. If you did, you wouldn’t have accused me of cheating on you. I know I should have explained better when I told you I was pregnant, but the thing is, you don’t trust me. After all this time; all I did for you, you still don’t trust me to love you.”

"That's not true!" Panic began to fill Myka at Helena's words, and shaking her head in denial, she screamed, "NO! I will not let a simple misunderstanding tear us apart! We have to fix this Hel... For you and me and the kids!"  
"Do NOT bring our children into this!" Rising from the tub like Venus from the sea, Helena's eyes flashed dangerously as she hissed, "This is about us- you and me, and your lack of faith in me. I was trying to do something special for you, Myka and it's turned into a disaster because no trust."  
"I DO trust you!" Dropping into a dejected slump on the closed toilet, tears began to track down Myka's face as she whispered, "What the hell happened? Ten minutes ago we were so happy and now... God, Helena... please don't let this tear us apart. I couldn't bear it if you left me."

"I'm not leaving." Helena's tone echoed with her own sorrow, and swiping at the tears on her face, she whispered, "But I think we need some time apart. I'll sleep in the guest room tonight and maybe by tomorrow things will be a little less tender to our emotions."

"Why?" Shaking her head, Myka's eyes flashed with anger, she demanded, "Why now? We've had fights before, much worse than this, and you've never considered leaving; even if it was just to the guest room. What's changed?"

"What do you mean?” Confusion filled Helena's face as she shook her head, stating, "No, there is no artifact that's caused this Myka. This is something of our own doing, so stop trying to find the easy excuse. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll fetch my clothes from our... from your room and retire for the evening."

"No, damn it!" Throwing her hands up in frustration as her wife ignored her words and pushed past her, Myka looked wildly around, trying to spot something out of place, something new that could be causing this. Coming up empty, she met her reflection in the mirror and promised, "I won't give up. Something or someone is behind this and I’m damned well going to get to the bottom of this!"

Her resolve strengthening her, Myka stalked out of the bathroom and down to the kitchen, her mind on her hidden stash of Twizzlers. Pausing in the family room to pick one of Em's toys up and place it in the toy chest, she turned towards the kitchen once more and then froze. Turning on her heel, she stared at the chair she'd never seen before, her head tipped to the side. Moving closer, she studied the piece of furniture and sighed. Surely it couldn't be THAT easy! Snagging her Farnsworth from the top of the mantel, she dialed Claudia, whom she knew was working late at the warehouse. Forcing a smile into her tone, she said, "Hey Claud! I was wondering if you could do me a HUGE favor? Yeah... Could you bring the neutralizing spray unit here to the house? I think we might have a problem... Oh, and could you PLEASE not mention this to Artie? Yeah... Ok, see you in a bit!"   
Closing the Farnsworth, she crossed to the couch that the children had nearly destroyed with their play and dropped onto it, crossing her arms and glaring at her new nemesis.

***  
Frowning at the chair in front of her, Claudia stated, "Myka, it's a rocking chair. Why the hell did you drag me out here for a rocking chair?"

"Helena and I... sorta had a fight." Blushing as she made the confession, Myka added, "She doesn't believe that there's an artifact that caused the fight, but this is the only new thing that I know about in our house."

"Again, Myka, it's JUST a rocking chair." Shaking her head, Claudia turned towards the door and then froze briefly as she whispered, "Unless..."

Moving back to the rocker, she flipped it over to examine the bottom explaining, "I recently read a biography about the Lindbergh’s and in it they talked about how Anne Lindberg used to sit in a chair just like this and just rock for days. If this is her chair... Shit!" Using a mini flashlight to highlight a mark on the bottom, Claudia demanded, "Where did this come from?"

"I don't know." Shaking her head, Myka waved her hand absently, stating, "I took the kids to see the doctor and I had lunch with them at Lily’s while Helena stayed here and fixed our bathroom. I didn’t notice it earlier, so it must have come while we were gone. Helena! Helena, come down here!"

"No!" Came the echoing reply, the Brit's tones crisp as she called, "I'm still angry with you Myka! Now leave me alone so I can sleep!"

"If you don't get your proper, pampered, British ass down here right now, I'm going to come up there and pull you down by your hair!" Startled by her own words, Myka blinked and then opened her mouth to apologize, but snapped it shut as her wife came screeching down the stairs. Catching her breath, she whispered, "Damn she's hot!"

"Please, I'm standing right here!" Rolling her eyes as Myka winked at her, Claudia plastered a bright smile on her face, saying, "Hey HG! I was wondering... Where'd you get the chair?"

"I bought it at an online auction through Sotheby's." Drawing her robe tighter around her in the other woman's presence, Helena looked down her aristocratic nose, demanding, "What are you doing with my chair?"

"Well, ah..." Stammering as she tried to find the right words, Myka shrugged, pleading, "Claud?"

"Here's the deal, HG." Highlighting the mark on the bottom of the chair once more, Claudia met the older woman's eyes, explaining, "This indicates that was an original piece of the Lindbergh estate. From what I read, Anne Lindberg used to sit in this thing for days, crying for her lost child. Charles Sr. became angry at her, telling her to not lose hope. I think those emotions became imbued in this chair and that's what's caused this rift between you two. Please, HG. Just let me take it outside and douse it with neutralizer. If it's not the problem, then I'll clean the chair up and bring it right back, I promise."

"No, absolutely not!" Fury entered the woman's dark eyes, and turning on her spouse, she hissed, "It's bad enough that you doubted me, but now you have this whole far-fetched explanation to cover your lack of faith AND you've involved Claudia! Just admit to what you've done and leave my chair alone!"

"No!" Snagging her wife by the lapels of her robe, Myka gave her a little shake, screaming, "You listen to me! There is SOMETHING in this house that is causing us to fight and I'm damn well going to find it. Now just stop acting so stupid about a damn piece of wood, and let..."

"Oh, to hell with this shit." Lifting the canister, Claudia flipped the power switch and pulled the trigger, dousing the chair in purple goo. Nodding in satisfaction as the thing sparked spectacularly, she dropped the neutralizer canister to the floor and turned to face her friends with a raised eyebrow.

Staring at her chair with shock, Helena then raised her eyes to meet Claudia’s, softly questioning, "What's going on here? Claudia, why are you here and why is my chair covered with purple ick?"

Casting a curious glance in her wife's direction, Myka countered, "You don't remember what happened?"

Shaking her head, Helena replied, "I remember having a wonderful time with you in the bathtub, but nothing after that... Myka, what is going on here?"

"Oh boy... this is gonna be fun." Sighing, Claudia explained, "Apparently you bought this chair online, not knowing that it was part of the Lindberg estate. The chair was filled with countering parts of Anne Lindberg's despair and old Charles’s anger. It made you two fight, Myka called me, you fought some more, I neutralized the bugger and now all's well in the world again."

Lifting her canister once more, Claudia turned towards the door, calling, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to head home and see if Jinxy left me any of Leena's meatloaf. I knew I should've come home earlier!"

Shaking her head in bewilderment as the younger woman slipped out of the house, Helena stated, "I still don't know what's going on!"

Sighing, Myka led her to the sofa and explained what had happened in the bathroom, refusing to leave any part out. Nervously watching her wife as she digested the story, Myka nearly jumped out of her skin as Helena smacked her on the arm and stated, "You ninny! How could you ever believe that I would leave you? You and the children are my world, Myka. Without you, I'm nothing!"

Blushing, Myka ducked her head, murmuring, "Well, I DID doubt you when you told me about the pregnancy. Once it clicked, the only thing I could think of was that you'd had sex with Pete."

"Oh, darling, don't you know that would be impossible?" Shifting closer to her wife, Helena slid her hand inside of Myka's now-gaping robe and cupped the other woman's breast as she murmured, "He's just a dirty, old boy, and I am SO definitely into girls..."

***

Eight months later, Helena gave birth to Victoria Alice Josephina Wells-Bering and Myka, merely hours later, welcomed Elizabeth Juliet Anne and Edward Henry Georges Bering-Wells. Pete was ecstatic and Artie had welcomed the children with a grumble and “Of course you would give birth on the same day when we’re in over our heads with the inventory!”


	15. California Girls

The sun was shining brightly over the sandy California beach. Helena was watching over Oliver and Emma; who were building a sand castle, while Myka was taking a walk with Tracy in an effort to get the three babies to sleep.  
Helena kept an eye on the children while enjoying the sun warming her skin. Myka had insisted that she wear tons of sunscreen and she now smelled like coconut, much to her distaste.

Emma suddenly dropped her shovel on the sand and ran up to her. “Mummy! I’s to go potty!”  
Frowning up at her daughter, Helena countered, “Again? You went only 10 minutes ago!”  
Emma started dancing from one foot to the other. “But that was number 1! I has to do number 2 now!”

Helena sighed. Getting Oliver to leave his castle to come with them to Tracy’s house was not going to be easy since the little boy loved the beach… But it was better than having to clean up a mess. Forcing a smile onto her face, she called to her son, “Oliver? Come on sweetheart, Emma has to go to the bathroom.  
Crossing his arms and pouting in a perfect imitation of his father, the boy whined, “But mummy she just went!”  
“Oliver, please be a good boy.” Rising to her feet with a groan, Helena held her hand out to her son, cajoling, “It will only take a few minutes, and you’ll be able to come back to your castle very soon I promise.”  
Oliver came to her; stomping his feet and grumbling under his breath, and reminding Helena of Artie when he was not happy about something. They all hurried to the house, where Emma ran to the bathroom; slamming the door into Helena’s face and yelling, “I can do it myself!” 

Sighing, Helena went to wait in the kitchen with Oliver, who was sulking on a chair as he kicked his legs back and forth. Winking at her oldest child, she asked, “What do you say that when mama gets back, you and I go buy us some ice cream, hum?”  
Oliver’s eyes narrowed with speculation, and casting a glance in the direction of the bathroom, the boy quietly retorted, “What about Emma?”  
“She could stay here with mama and Auntie Tracy.” Reaching out to smooth his wind-tousled hair, she added, “It would be just you and me.”

Oliver thought about the proposition for a moment and then nodded vigorously. He rarely had time alone with either of his parents anymore and he missed it. 

After a few minutes, Helena went to check on Emma. She knocked on the door but the only sound she could hear was the sound of water running in the tub. Knowing how much her eldest daughter loved playing in the ocean, Helena began to fear that Emma had decided to create her own ocean at home. She tried the knob but the door was locked. Knocking louder, she called, “Emma? Emma, come out pumpkin, mummy’s worried.”   
When the little girl didn’t reply, Helena tried the force the door, but the massive wood wouldn’t budge. Turning to her son, she yelled, “Oliver! Go to my purse in our room, take out my lock-pick kit and bring it here!”

This time the little boy didn’t argue and ran out of the room. He knew time was of the essence when either of his moms took that tone.  
Not waiting to see if the child obeyed, Helena began hammering on the bathroom door, her tone all but screeching as she yelled, “Emma? EMMA!”  
There was still no answer from the little girl and Helena panicked. She stepped back a few feet and ran toward the door, shoulder first. The door burst open under the pressure and Helena stumbled into the bathroom holding her left shoulder. Emma was lying on her stomach in the tub with the tap all the way open, but only an inch of water had filled the bottom because she had thankfully forgotten the plug. 

The little girl looked at her mother and smiled brightly. Sliding from one end to the other, the child screamed, “I’s a mermaid!”


End file.
